Holocaust survivor visits South Africa
JOBURG - WITH the marking of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp during the Holocaust, the Nashua Children's Charity Foundation (NCCF) brought Holocaust survivor, Tomi Reichental, to South Africa and distributed food, toiletries and educational equipment to children's charities.
The Holocaust survivor, who was the guest speaker, addressed the Jewish Women’s Benevolent Society on 1 March, where many gathered to listen to the 80-year-old sharing his stories of the unimaginable atrocities he suffered during World War II. Tomi was a young boy, aged 6 when he first witnessed the horrors of the Holocaust.
Helen Fraser, director of NCCF said, “It was emotional for Jewish and non-Jewish people. Tomi had us in the palm of his hands. One has a different understanding when hearing from a survivor what happened during the Holocaust.”
Tomi said he lived a very quiet life, which all changed in 1939. Tomi went on to say, ” I was very frightened”.
Rabbi Yosi Goldman from Sydenham Shul spoke about his father, who was a holocaust survivor. ” I only realised while growing up what my father went through; my father was a superhero.” Yosi said it is not easy for Holocaust survivors to speak about their experiences, just as Tomi only spoke about his experience six years ago.
Reichental’s intention was to spread a message of healing through forgiveness.
