A moving Holocaust commemoration in Sydney
'Standing on the shoulders of our Shoah survivors at this uncertain moment, we must recommit ourselves to living up to their example,' NSW JBD president says
A mood equal parts sombre, reflective, beautiful and uplifting filled the City Recital Hall for the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies’ Yom Hashoah Communal Commemoration on Sunday night.
Opening the proceedings and welcoming the dignitaries, NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip spoke of being inspired “by the strength and resilience of our Shoah survivors, who rebuilt their lives and communities”.
“From the depths of despair, once more, there is vitality, strength, and dynamism to Jewish life, that the unbreakable people have once again risen like a phoenix from the ashes,” he said.
Ossip noted “we live in a complicated time”, with 59 Israeli hostages still in Gaza, extremists emboldened, geopolitical tensions rife and societies vulnerable.
“But standing on the shoulders of our Shoah survivors at this uncertain moment, we must recommit ourselves to living up to their example, to embrace the volatility of the moment, and in doing so, perpetuate the memory of those who were murdered by helping to rebuild a fractured world,” he said. “That is the job of the Jewish people.”
Six candles were lit by survivors Dasia Black, Lucy Chladek, Ana Deleon, Gaby Deleon, Paul Drexler and Jack Meister – each introduced by a short video segment telling their story – before a haunting rendition of El Malei Rachamim and Kaddish recited by Cantor Zvi Teichtal.
Keynote speaker Dr Helen Lewis began by quoting Elie Wiesel who said, “For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”
Lewis, whose father Sgt Mike Lewis filmed the liberation of Bergen-Belsen as part of the British Army Film and Photographic Unit, reflected on the vast human loss: families, villages and entire communities wiped out, and nations forever changed.
She described her father’s confronting experience filming at Bergen-Belsen, where 10,000 bodies lay unburied and survivors clung to life. His footage, she said, became a vital record for future generations, even as he admitted, “I thought time would make me forget. It didn’t.”
Lewis stressed that true understanding requires more than just viewing images — it demands context, reflection, and remembrance. “The dead still cry out to us,” she said. “Today, we hear their cries and remember.”
In another moving address, Bill Marynissen shared the remarkable story of his paternal Dutch grandparents, who were honoured by Yad Vashem in 2022 as Righteous Among the Nations for sheltering a Jewish baby known as “Bobby” during WWII.
Marynissen recounted the emotional reunion decades later, when his family discovered Bobby was alive and well, leading to a heartfelt meeting in Paris.
Representing the younger generation, Lisa Solomon honoured her late grandfather, Ziggy Gelber, sharing his survival story from the Holocaust. Born in Poland in 1925, Gelber survived the Nazi concentration camps, enduring unimaginable loss and hardship, including the death of his father, before he built a life and new family in Australia.
“I promised not only to share the story of his life, but to ensure it is never forgotten,” she said.
Rabbi Benjamin Elton recited a prayer for the hostages, while music at the event was provided by Chutney Unplugged, along with vocalist Sasha Fisher.
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