Hanukkah spirit of light over darkness
This week, as Jews celebrate Hanukkah, they’re reminded of the importance of hope, resilience and fortitude in the face of adversity.
Hanukkah commemorates the successful Jewish revolt against Greek oppressors in 164 BCE. In the ensuing Jewish rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, there was only enough oil to burn for one day but it miraculously burned for eight days. In celebration, Jews light the menorah each night during the eight days of Hanukkah.
For a people who’ve never been able to take their continued existence for granted, the Hanukkah story of survival resonates strongly. That’s part of the reason survivors of the darkest chapter in Jewish history — the Holocaust — are the source of so much inspiration and respect in the Jewish community and beyond.
Over the years, I’ve had the good fortune of getting to know many Holocaust survivors. I’m awestruck at how most have refused to be consumed by bitterness for what they experienced. I’m moved by how, in an effort to educate people on where hate can lead, many share their excruciatingly painful stories.
I marvel at how so many in the twilight of their lives have the passion and sense of sacred duty to help younger people learn from the lessons of the Holocaust and to fight discrimination.
Like other Holocaust survivors still alive today, Toronto resident Andy Réti experienced a searingly cruel reality in his early years. Born in 1942 in Rechnitz, Austria, Andy was only two years old when Nazi thugs arrived at his home in Hungary and forced him, his mother and grandmother at gunpoint to join other Jews herded to an abandoned racetrack to be sent to death camps. By then, his father and grandfather had already been sent to a forced work camp to perform hard manual labour and Andy’s two other grandparents had been murdered at Auschwitz.
In a near-miracle, with help from a local policeman, Andy, his mother and grandmother avoided being sent to Auschwitz, ending up instead in the Jewish ghetto in Budapest. By the time Soviet troops liberated the ghetto in January 1945, Andy wasn’t old enough to understand the war that had devastated Europe, but he had already experienced severe hunger, pain and loss. Most distressful was the death of his father, one of six million Jews killed by the Nazis.
Today, at age 79, Andy is one of the younger survivors. For the past 23 years, he’s spoken to thousands of Canadians, especially students, sharing his story to raise awareness about the dangers of hate and the importance of speaking out against all forms of racism and intolerance.
A frequent speaker at educational events of Friends of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, Andy is a constant source of inspiration for me. He emanates a warm glow that immediately connects with audiences of all ages.
Andy has told me that with the passage of time, it’s easy for many people to forget — and for younger generations not to learn — about the horrific events of the Second World War. Convinced education is key to preventing future genocides, he’s committed to telling his story of survival to anyone willing to listen.
As part of his deep love for his five children and four grandchildren, he sees them as a powerful affirmation of Jewish life and survival. In a recent conversation, he said to me poignantly, “Having children and grandchildren is the best revenge against the Nazis.”
Andy exudes a passion for life, relishing every chance to wear his biker gear and feel the freedom of riding his beloved motorcycle.
This Hanukkah, in a year filled with challenges for the Jewish community, Andy, like so many other Jews, is lighting his menorah as an assertion of Jewish pride and perseverance. As I light the candles with my family, I’m thinking of the incredible legacy of Andy and other Holocaust survivors and celebrating Jewish life in Canada.