Israel-Hamas War: Holocaust survivor hopes unique perspective opens hearts, minds
MIAMI - A Holocaust survivor said fighting in Israel hit a nerve that causes constant pain. He spoke up to share his perspective hoping it opens hearts and minds to change.
David Schaecter is 94 years young and knows a thing or two about aging. Time hardly healed his wounds, though. He survived one of history's deadliest massacres at Auschwitz and three other Nazi concentration camps in the 1940's. It left his heart brittle enough to break when fighting erupted in Israel over the weekend.
"Why do you kill children," he said. "Why do you kill Jews? I'm reliving my horrendous past after we arrived in Auschwitz. I promise you I didn't need to be reminded of that. I've lived it. I've seen it. I saw my mom being beaten and pushed with 900 people downhill and at the bottom of the hill there were two big mega holes in the ground. The Nazis had dogs biting them to run downhill and as they were running (the Nazis) were mowing (the prisoners) down with guns and they were falling. We saw them falling into these holes."
When asked if it seems like people alive today have forgotten the lessons of the Holocaust, Schaecter did not hesitate.
"It's more than that," he said. "It seems like people don't care. In spite of everything they don't care. Humanity doesn't mean anything anymore. The world at large doesn't give a good God damn. Let me tell you, the only person I've told it to is my wife. I had a nightmare last night. I said it's hurting me because God is not listening. (The rabbi in the dream) says to me maybe he'll hear us this time. I said rabbi how many memorials do we need to build for God sakes? I wish I wouldn't have any more nightmares."
So, as he sat through a solidarity rally at the Holocaust Memorial he founded in Miami Beach, Schaecter smiled through the pain while hoping his voice and story make a difference.