I can’t summon the words to describe the Holocaust. I have certainly never experienced such an atrocity in my lifetime, but it should be remembered that genocide is still taking place on this planet, at this very moment.
My experience with one Holocaust survivor, the beautiful Mrs. Gerda Weissmann Klein, has shown me the depths of pain the heights of humanity.
Mrs. Klein, who was liberated in May 1945 by the late Kurt Klein, who she would later marry, has devoted her life to teaching tolerance, to speaking about her experiences.
I have met Mrs. Klein on several occasions, the last time in 2002 near her home in Arizona. I sat with her at lunch, and she showed me some of the letters she has received, newspaper clippings, and write-ups in school newsletters. They brought her such comfort and joy, acknowledging her message of tolerance. After all she had been through, I have never detected a note of bitterness in her. She just won’t allow it to stop her from her mission — to make sure that children everywhere understand what happened, and never let it happen again.
The character of this woman, forged in horror, is incredible.
