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| Our retreat was held in Orangeville, Ontario at the Ecology Retreat Centre. |
Pinchas, a survivor of Majdanek Extermination Camp, and Faigie, of Birkenau, continue to offer inspiration and love to all - especially those who take the time to carry on their stories; those eager to listen and learn, and return home to share, as we were, this weekend.
Three weeks prior to Pinchas' liberation from a camp in the Russian area of Germany near the Czech border, he was sent on a death march with approximately 1500 others. Only half survived and were liberated by the Russians.
On the 8 of May, 1945, Pinchas was 13 years old and "heard the fantastic noise" of tanks coming into the camp. He was liberated by the Red Army, and then sent to Britain where he was happy, blocking the horrors of his past. After liberation, there was no support - other than for physical ailments. Unlike many liberation stories, though, few died from overeating as the Russians were organized and rationed the food to build up strength, and increase weight.
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| Faigie, speaking to us at the retreat. |
Faigie was liberated in 1944, at the age of 10 and a half, from Stutthof concentration camp, with her mother. Faigie remembers arriving at a large castle, and being allowed to sleep inside for the night. The following morning, the silence was frightening, until a man with a white horse rode up to the castle - a member of the Red Army - who was pulled from his horse and hugged and kissed by the women, as he was offering them freedom; they were liberated. Faigie remembers this moment - but was unclear and doubted her memory, almost. Was the horse white?
Faigie shared a special moment with us this weekend, when she read a journal entry by her mother for the first time. The horse was white. The women did kiss and hugg the soldier, pulling him off his horse. Faigie was thrilled, and we all recognized the special moment in which she relived her history: an important, beautiful moment of history - both then, and as we made it together.
Faigie's mother was only 33 years old at liberation, and wrote in her journal (about their liberation day) that "it seems as if the sun is shining today".
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| The group at this weekend's retreat, including Faigie and Pinchas. |
Upon liberation, Faigie and her mother decided to not return to Lithuania, but had hope that if they had survived, someone else may have, too. Her father did not, but died in Dachau shortly before she was liberated.
Faigies will to live, even now, and her love for humanity continues to amaze me, as she told us these stories and said "you pull yourself up and say 'I shall go on'".
And with this, I return to the moment we arrived at the retreat on Friday, where we shared our original reason for attending / applying for MRH, and what we really understand to be our reason, looking back. I believe that originally, I had planned to go on MRH to really expand my knowledge of the Holocaust and to complete myself in that way, of understanding history. Looking back, I realize that I not only received so much more from this program, but I really wanted to participate to experience love, so I will never hate, and so I can end hate. And I received that from every other participant, from Faigie, and from Pinchas, and I truly love them back for having the courage to make this happen: for sharing their story and optimism. For inspiring. For educating. And for their hope.
I thank both Pinchas and Faigie for allowing us to share this personal connection with them, for allowing us in to their religion and lives to try and understand their past. Here, you can see a video from the trip (in Tykocin) of the two opening their hearts to us, and sharing all.
"You all have homework to do, for the rest of your lives, as you have become our ambassadors" - Faigie Libman.
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