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Unique tribute to survivors set for Dec. 3 |
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Written by --
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Wednesday, 02 December 2009 |
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TORONTO – An appreciative 23-year-old has planned a tribute to Holocaust survivors with a unique event, Alive Because They Survived (ABTS), honouring them for their many contributions to society notwithstanding their horrific past experiences.
Daniel Farb, a grandson of survivors, said the program would not focus on the Holocaust itself; rather, the purpose is to instill pride and inspiration among descendants.
“A big part of my pride as a Jew is knowing I’m here because of their courage and their choice to go on living despite going through the worst hell in modern history,” Farb told the Jewish Tribune.
In fact, even the event’s title acknowledges the fact that he and so many other descendants of survivors would not be here today were it not for their parents’ and grandparents’ will to live, to begin anew and to create new families, he explained.
His late maternal grandparents, Zigmund and Ruth Schatzker, were Polish survivors. Zigmund Schatzker began his new life here as a plumbing apprentice and managed to build a successful business, helping in the construction of many homes in North York. They had two children and five grandchildren and were “loving grandparents,” Farb said.
His paternal grandfather, John Sauber, is a Hungarian survivor; his wife, Blemah, arrived in Canada from the Ukraine before WWII. Now retired, Sauber owned a hardware store and built a comfortable life here for his family. What impressed Farb, upon hearing stories from his grandfather’s past, was his decision to stop dwelling on his tremendous losses and to move forward.
Notwithstanding the program’s focus on the survivors’ remarkable achievements after the war rather than tales of horror, Farb acknowledged the necessity for continued Holocaust education.
“I think it would be a tragedy if we started forgetting,” he said.
The event will feature presentations by survivors and their families, including award-winning Canadian Yiddish poet Simcha Simchovitch, and there will be light refreshments. It takes place Dec. 3, 7-10 p.m., at Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda synagogue, 100 Elder St. For more information or to assist in this endeavour, call (647) 201-9161. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 December 2009 )
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