When Israel arrived in
Auschwitz he had
the number 87584
tattooed on his arm like animal. Those
days in the camp seemed like the end of
the world, with the madness of death and
hatred everywhere. It was easy to cross
the line between good and bad, to forget
mercy, friendship and forgiveness in order
to survive, to steal the last morsel of bread
from a dying man. But Israel did none of
that; he kept his human dignity, optimism
and hope. He never forgot that in him was
a man of value and honour.
When they were freed and the spirit of
revenge came over others, made them
drunk with hatred and wanted blood, Israel
kept his spirit and soul. He went to Israel to
follow his Zionist dream and start a family.
He did not become a bitter man, but looked
at the world with optimism, always moving
with hope. He carried the pain of his story
in his heart in silence until the day came to
tell his story. This is the story of a man who
remained a man in spite of everything. This
is Israel’s legacy.
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