Holocaust survivor talks about healing and forgiveness
SANDTON - Holocaust survivor, Tomi Reichental shared his story of loss and bravery during a special session in Sandton.
Reichental spoke at the Nashua Children’s Charity Foundation Jewish Women’s Benevolent Society on 1 March at the Sandton Shull Hall.
This year marked the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau – the largest concentration camp during the Holocaust.
Guests also received tickets to watch Close to Evil, the award-winning documentary about Reichental’s efforts to connect with one of his former jailers.
Reichental’s visit also included a special dinner in which guests were welcomed by the MC Kharbai School’s marimba band before listening to Reichental’s story.
For over half a century, 80-year-old Reichental, who now lives in Ireland, could not bring himself to speak about his experience in Bergen-Belsen. The traumatic events within the walls of the concentration camp remained buried in his memory until he began writing. This led to his autobiography, I am a Boy from Belsen, multiple radio and TV interviews, and two documentaries.
In 2012, a listener who heard him during a radio interview, tried to put him in contact with one of the female jailers from Belsen, Hilde Lisiewicz, but she declined to meet with him. His efforts to find her gave rise to the documentary, Close to Evil.
Reichental speaks regularly at schools, colleges and universities to educate pupils about the Holocaust. By sharing his personal journey, he hopes to inspire resilience and compassion.
Beyond raising funds for the Jewish Women’s Benevolent Society and the Nashua Children’s Charity Foundation, Reichental will also volunteer at various children’s charities during his visit. After experiencing extreme hardship first-hand, Reichental wants to shed light on the difficult lives of others, and encourage them to rise above their circumstances.
Through telling his story, Reicheintal has found some of the liberation he was denied as a child – using his difficult past to encourage positivity in future generations.
Details: 011 485 5232.
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