Today is a day full of mixed emotions… mourning for the loss of loved ones I never had a chance to meet… anger at those who slaughtered my relatives simply because they were Jews .. and gratitude for the survival of my own father so that I could be born and carry on the family name.
While working today, I saw many stories and photos related to the Holocaust… but this story from my friend and colleague Daniel Gefen summed up how I was feeling…
My grandfather was shot and buried alive. He survived and climbed out of the grave of Jewish bodies when he felt it was safe enough.
This was one of many miracles he experienced in the holocaust.
On two occasions he was hung but due to ‘false alarms’ he managed to escape.
On another occasion he was walking into the gas chamber and a Nazi soldier called him to clean his boot after his horse relieved himself on it.
He watched both his parents and all of his 6 siblings murdered.
He experienced 5 years of hell, 5 concentration camps, and 3 death marches but he was destined to survive.
It is because of him that I’m alive today.
Of all the great people I have had the fortune to meet he will always inspire me the most. He was a humble, giving, dedicated, persistent, faithful and joyous man.
His smile would be the first thing you noticed when you saw him and you would be completely oblivious to what those smiley eyes had witnessed.
Today I commit to live for what he was prepared to die for.
Today is #HolocaustMemorialDay.
A day we mark to remember the murder of 6 million Jews.
We will never forget. We will live on.
In memory of Moshe Chaim Gefen 1924 – 2013
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He is the founder at Gefen Media Group, #1 International Bestselling Author at The Self Help Addict and Talk Show Host at Can I Pick Your Brain?
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