‘Living proof that the human spirit can’t be broken’

“Thank you for showing us how to live,” George Foster said during the Holocaust Survivors Reunion Lunch on Sunday.

“Not just how to survive, but how to thrive. How to hold pain in one hand and joy in the other, how to build something beautiful out of the brokenness, and how to do it all with a sense of humour and a bit of chutzpah.”

There were 200 people in the room at NSW Parliament, 85 of them Holocaust survivors. The inaugural event – which took place simultaneously at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum – was the idea of child Holocaust survivor Eddy Boas, who wanted it to be about a celebration of life instead of reminiscing about the horrors of the past.

Foster, president of the Australian Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors & Descendants, echoed those sentiments during his moving speech.

“This is a celebration of life, of strength, of survival,” he said.

“You’re living proof that the human spirit can’t be broken. You didn’t just survive history’s darkest chapter, you rewrote the next one.

“Today is not about the past. It’s about you, the survivors, who made it through unimaginable horrors and then went on to do something even more incredible – build new lives.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns and his wife Anna were in attendance, with Minns telling the audience he felt “a sense of awe and reverence at being welcomed into a gathering such as this”.

“It’s a genuine honour to host you in the NSW Parliament, not just as survivors of the Shoah but as people who, in building a new life in this country, helped build modern Australia in the process,” said Minns.

Minns paid tribute to Holocaust survivor Yvonne Engelmen, who recently passed away at the age of 98, before telling the roomful of survivors that Australia “owes an unpayable debt to your generation of Jewish migrants”.

“When you look at our skyline, when you visit our hospitals or work in the business world, if you spend time in science and philanthropy and the arts, it’s clear – the benefits of Jewish migration to our country are obvious,” he said.

“We owe it to you to have your back, to live up to that pledge of ‘Never again’.”

Minns ended his speech with an apology following the antisemitic attacks that have shaken the Jewish community since October 7, 2023.

“If any of the scenes have echoed the darkest chapters of Jewish history, then I could not be more sorry as the Premier of this State,” he said.

Sky News reporter Caroline Marcus hosted the event and Sharri Markson was the guest speaker, while Israeli ambassador Amir Maimon said the mere presence of Holocaust survivors, along with their families, “is living proof of the Nazi regime failure”.

“They sought to destroy our people, yet here you stand,” said Maimon.

“You are the victors, you are the heroes, not only for surviving, but for sharing your stories, educating others and bearing witness for those who could not.”

Foster thanked Boas for making the reunion happen, before he concluded with a message.

“To our survivors: we honour you, we treasure you and today we celebrate you.”