Ilana: 6,000,000 Jews died in the Holocaust. Since one of the most horrific time periods
in Jewish history, the survivors have rebuilt the Jewish community in the United States.
They have been our teachers, our community leaders; now they need us. The Jewish community
should be able to say we did everything in our power to ensure that Holocaust survivors
live the remainder of their lives in dignity. My name is Ilana and I want to connect young
professionals and college students with Holocaust survivors through visitation, inter-generational
events and service trips. One survivor felt so close to her young professional volunteer
that when she fell, instead of calling 9-1-1, she called her volunteer. With a declining
population and many survivors living in poverty and social isolation, the time to assist survivors
is now. This initiative will provide young adults opportunities to make meaningful connections
with survivors and the training to be the voice of survivors in future classrooms.
