To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the State of Israel's independence, for Holocaust Remembrance Day this year, we at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum thought it would be appropriate to focus specifically on the extraordinary journey Holocaust survivors underwent in order to resume a semblance of normalcy and live their lives.
Ostensibly, one would expect Holocaust survivors to be bitter and desperate, focused on vengeance or seeking only personal achievements and materialistic pursuits, oblivious to history or human values. The vast majority of Holocaust survivors, however, have been able to maintain their faith in mankind as well as in God. This process began when the political views and various ideological affiliations that characterized Jews in Europe before the Holocaust collapsed and, in the wake of World War II, were replaced by the Zionist dream.
Most Holocaust survivors and their leaders understood that realizing this dream was their mission and strove to realize it at all cost. The survivors were willing to struggle anew and were determined to fight for the then-illegal immigration of Jews to British Palestine at significant risk to themselves, and hundreds of survivors paid the ultimate price for their efforts. Those who made it struggled to integrate in every sphere of life, and we fall short of fully recognizing the length and breadth of their contribution to the creative professions, as many of them were painters, graphic artists, poets, novelists and scientists.
Holocaust survivors also contributed greatly to medicine, religion, the settlement enterprise and the security of the pre-state Jewish community. In each of these fields the,y made a significant creative contribution, a symbol of the revival of the people of Israel.
Meanwhile, they also volunteered to serve in the budding defense establishment that included the Palmach, Haganah, Irgun and Lehi paramilitary groups and following Israel's inception, many of them volunteered to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, making up the majority of the fighting force in the 1948 War of Independence.
We take inspiration from their actions and determination, which restores our faith in the power of the spirit of mankind. After they had survived indescribable atrocities and destruction, they chose to live lives full of hope by holding on to the belief that it is possible to create a new and moral society through a clear vision and unwavering loyalty to the vision of the State of Israel. The strength of their character and their creation are a source of inspiration for us all.
