February  12th.  2010
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Alex Levin’s story was unique and interesting as it covered his life as a young child in a tiny Polish village, and his subsequent flight upon the realization that the Nazi collaborators arriving in the village were there to massacre the Jewish families. He spent the next 18 months of his life living in a cave in the forest, and begging/stealing food to survive. I had the opportunity to ask him whether or not he and his family were aware of what was coming when WWII started and the Soviets occupied his village. His response was (paraphrased, of course) “we heard the rumors, many told us what was happening in Germany and elsewhere in Poland, but they didn’t believe it - all the smartest Rabbis, and elders… they didn’t believe it was possible”. …and when you hear the story from his perspective, it becomes hard to believe just how badly civilization broke down during that time period. It is terrifying to think that despite how civilized we consider our respective nations, and how far we think humanity has come, that genocide and crimes against humanity are not simply a stain on our past, but continues to be a stain on our present. caitlinomg: Last night I had the opportunity through the Azrieli foundation to hear Alex Levin speak about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor. It was an amazing experience, and I have a deep respect for the Azrieli foundation, who work to publish the memoirs of Holocaust survivors who cannot find a publisher. The founder of the organization, David J. Azrieli explains: “In telling these stories, the writers have liberated themselves. For so many years we did not speak about it, even when we became free people living in a free society. Now, when at last we are writing about what happened to us in this dark period of history, knowing that our stories will be read and live on allows us to feel truly free. These unique historical documents put a face on what was lost, and allow readers to grasp the enormity of what happened to six million Jews – one story at a time.” I think it is our responsibility as Canadians and citizens of the world to listen to these stories and pass them down to our children.

Alex Levin’s story was unique and interesting as it covered his life as a young child in a tiny Polish village, and his subsequent flight upon the realization that the Nazi collaborators arriving in the village were there to massacre the Jewish families.

He spent the next 18 months of his life living in a cave in the forest, and begging/stealing food to survive.

I had the opportunity to ask him whether or not he and his family were aware of what was coming when WWII started and the Soviets occupied his village. His response was (paraphrased, of course) “we heard the rumors, many told us what was happening in Germany and elsewhere in Poland, but they didn’t believe it - all the smartest Rabbis, and elders… they didn’t believe it was possible”.

…and when you hear the story from his perspective, it becomes hard to believe just how badly civilization broke down during that time period. It is terrifying to think that despite how civilized we consider our respective nations, and how far we think humanity has come, that genocide and crimes against humanity are not simply a stain on our past, but continues to be a stain on our present.

caitlinomg:

Last night I had the opportunity through the Azrieli foundation to hear Alex Levin speak about his experiences as a Holocaust survivor. It was an amazing experience, and I have a deep respect for the Azrieli foundation, who work to publish the memoirs of Holocaust survivors who cannot find a publisher.

The founder of the organization, David J. Azrieli explains:

“In telling these stories, the writers have liberated themselves. For so many years we did not speak about it, even when we became free people living in a free society. Now, when at last we are writing about what happened to us in this dark period of history, knowing that our stories will be read and live on allows us to feel truly free. These unique historical documents put a face on what was lost, and allow readers to grasp the enormity of what happened to six million Jews – one story at a time.”

I think it is our responsibility as Canadians and citizens of the world to listen to these stories and pass them down to our children.