We’re Still Standing

As Albert Einstein once said, “Coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous.” On Jan. 27, the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Two days later, we watched 80-year-old Gadi Moses, frail, weak, and starved from over 15 months in brutal captivity, muster what was left of his strength, smile in the face of the monsters surrounding him, and walk away from the horrors he had endured in Gaza toward freedom. The Israeli hostages who have been liberated thus far have redefined what it means to be a survivor and in turn, how Jewish survival is not simply a history lesson of a genocide past but, rather, a living understanding of why we persevere and survive despite the worst of circumstances.

As the stories begin to unfold of the horrific torture — both physical and psychological — that the hostages endured for months, so to are the stories of incredible resilience, selflessness and faith despite the constant fear of death. The faces of the hostages are reflections of their parents and grandparents who survived the Holocaust and other brutal antisemitic pogroms throughout the world, and we are reminded, as we see each hostage emerge from the darkness into the light, that survival is hard-wired in our DNA. There will be no single path forward for the hostages coming home and the very word “survival” will take on new meanings as the years progress. Yet, as we turn our collective energy to supporting the survivors of Oct. 7, we look to the guidance and wisdom of our Holocaust survivors who continue to live lives of incredible meaning and inspiration.  

As we turn our collective energy to supporting the survivors of Oct. 7, we look to the guidance and wisdom of our Holocaust survivors who continue to live lives of incredible meaning and inspiration. 

When Auschwitz was liberated, most of the survivors discovered that they were the sole survivors of their entire families. They had no home to return to, no form of livelihood and nobody waiting to help them through the horrific trauma that would haunt them for decades after. However, despite such horrible odds, the survivors of the Holocaust went on to live incredibly meaningful lives and share the testimony of their captivity so that the world would indeed never forget. We need the voices of our Holocaust survivors just as much today as when they were first liberated 80 years ago. We need to hear how they were able to move forward when their entire worlds were shattered. We need their lessons of hope and strength as the hostages begin the process of reintegration back to the world of the living. 

Part of the healing process, for the hostages and for the Jewish community worldwide, will be hearing powerful stories of Jewish victory in the face of antisemitic violence. On Jan. 15, 2022, a 44-year-old man named Malik Akram entered the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Collyville, Texas during a Shabbat service and took four people hostage in a standoff that lasted 11 hours. All four hostages, including Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, leader of the congregation, miraculously escaped before FBI agents shot and killed the suspect.  In response to the incident, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett addressed all Jews around the world in his statement at the open of the weekly cabinet meeting in Israel on Sunday, Jan. 16, “This morning I received the good news that the hostages in Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas have been rescued.  I want to thank the law enforcement agencies for their swift response and courageous action that brought the hostages home safely to their loved ones. This event is a stark reminder that the dark forces of antisemitism still exist. We must and we will fight it. To the Jewish community in the U.S. and Diaspora Jewry around the world I say, ‘You are not alone! We are one family, and we stand Strong and United together!'”  

The remarkable courage of the survivors of the Collyville hostage crisis resulted in the creation of a documentary film titled “Collyville” made from actual footage from the security cameras that were placed throughout the Beth Israel synagogue. In the film, the gunman is heard telling Rabbi Cytron-Walker that he “loves death more than you love life — a phrase eerily reminiscent of Hamas suicide indoctrination. Yet even after this horrific event, Rabbi Cytron-Walker looks forward in his words “with a goal of healing from whatever background you come from, from wherever you live in this world, all of us who are horrified by the terror that we endured – this is a lifesaving and a world saving endeavor – this attempt at healing, this beginning of healing. As we continue to commemorate the liberation of Auschwitz every January, we must look to the Holocaust survivors, for as long as we are blessed to have them with us, and through their testimony in years to come, for guidance and direction as the hostages begin the long road of recovery ahead of them and for a community committed to walking with them every step of the way. Am Israeli Chai.

Lisa Ansell is the Associate Director of the USC Casden Institute and Lecturer of Hebrew Language at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Los Angeles.