“I know what hunger is. It is painful”
350,000. That is how many Holocaust survivors remain alive today. The 27th January is Holocaust Memorial Day, where services are held worldwide in order for people to mourn those who were murdered for simply being themselves. Although it happened 73 years ago, the memories of the horrific events will never leave those who survived. I had the privilege of listening to one of their stories first hand, as I attended a Holocaust Memorial Service on the 28th of January in Haringey Civic Centre.
Holocaust survivor, Mr. Kraus, gave a heart-wrenching speech of what he endured during the holocaust, admitting that it was “the first time [he is] speaking about it for 60 years”. He described the horrors of him and his family being “starved for days” being hidden from Nazi soldiers by their neighbors and being forced to wear the Star of David as a “mark of shame” and “a way for them to treat us like animals”. They were scared of going outside without it in fear of being prosecuted and beaten unmercifully. It is sickening to know that people were made to feel ashamed because of their religious belief. A religious symbol, such as a cross or one of the five Ks, should make one feel proud and safe. But even to this day, with the rise of Islamaphobia, it’s almost a crime to worship your God. Mr. Kraus finished by telling us how he moved away from Poland and was able to survive and, needless to say, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. He now lives a peaceful life with his wife and three children. Interestingly, what he admired the most – what I imagine most people admire- is the diary of Anne Frank. He recounted reading her diary and being thankful. “Thankful for God, for giving this girl the gift of writing”
The event was presented by the councilor, Sheila Peacock, and was attended to by several city representatives. This included: David Lammy, MP for Totteham, Catherine West, MP for Hornsey, Claire Kober, the leader of Haringey council, Gail Engert, the leader of Liberal Democrats, and Joanna McCartney, the Deputy Mayor of London. Alongside them were leaders of religious organisations, Priests, Imams and several members of the Jewish community, all of who came to commemorate the victims of the monstrous atrocity that took place in World War 2.
The event concluded with the councilor leading us outside to watch the flag being risen by army soldiers and scouts. It was a moment that made me truly feel proud of our generation. A generation that is educated on the holocaust, making us wise enough not to follow a dictator. If we can do that, we can create justice for those innocent people killed and the ones who survived.
By Camay Davis-McAuley, City and Islington College
