South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Nazi war prosecutor talks about Netflix film
As more than 200 people, mostly retirees, filtered into a clubhouse, the oldest among them was not retired. In fact, at 99, he still works every day, despite accomplishing by 28 what most people don’t do in a lifetime. And as many of the attendees, most of whom were 20 years younger than the person they came to see, valeted their cars, Benjamin Ferencz — a giant in the world of international law and human rights standing at about 4 feet 11 inches tall — walked from the far end of the parking lot.
Ferencz gained notoriety after World War II when, at 27, he prosecuted Nazi war criminals in the Nuremberg Trials. He is the only surviving prosecutor from the trials. Still today, the Delray Beach resident delivers speeches, does interviews, pens letters to political leaders and, most recently, had a Netflix documentary made about his life and work titled “Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz.”
Despite his age, Ferencz works and swims almost every day, rising at 7 a.m. and sometimes not getting to sleep until 10 p.m. A recent screening of the film took place at Delaire Country Club in Delray Beach and afterward, Ferencz answered questions from the audience.
“The audience here isn’t particularly young, unless you compare it to me, of course,” he said to the audience after the screening. “The purpose of my accepting speeches like this is to inform as many people as
possible.”
Ferencz, who has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump and his administration — and war, violence and nationalism more generally — denounced two moves by the Trump administration during the event: In Trump’s first address to the United Nations’ General Assembly, when he threatened to “totally destroy” North Korea and with regards to the Trump administration’s family separation policy at the border.
“We would never have conceived that this great country would tell immigrants that come here, ‘ your papers arenot in order, we’ll take your children and you get out of the country,’” said Ferencz, who immigrated to the U. S. at a young age. “That is a crime against humanity. It’s a disgrace to the United States thatwewould allowsuch things to happen without throwing the politicians out of office.”
Asked by an audience member if he experienced anti- Semitism during the Nuremberg Trials or in his time in the Army, Ferencz said no, recalling and condemning all forms of hate, including racism he saw toward black soldiers in the U. S. Army during World War II, and racism and xenophobia he sees still today.
“You’ve got to get people to change the hatred of people who are different,” he said. “Let them be different.”
Marilyn Snyder is a resident of Delaire Country Club. She organized the event and addressed the audience before the film’s screening.
“I learned from the film that he lived in Delray Beach,” she said.
“When I called his home, Iwas delighted that he took the call. I really didn’t expect that. I found myself thanking and congratulating him and asking if he would come speak at Delaire all in one sentence. I did not want to lose his interest. I didn’t want him to hang up on me. Iwas determined to land this guy. I brought him flowers on Father’sday.”
Ferencz was treated like a celebrity with many attendees asking to shake his hand, take pictures and thanking him for his work. Snyder beamed as she recalled her efforts to get Ferencz to come speak at Delaire. “I asked him if I could call him my friend and he said ‘ yes,’” she said.
“Was I subconsciously bringing him flowers because I wanted to bribe him? I didn’t think so, however, maybe I did. I called him again in a few weeks and I was really very concerned that I might be annoying him. I asked him again, ‘ would you come and address some people at Delaire? We’re neighbors, we’re not very far and we’d bemost appreciative to hear you,’ and he said ‘ yes.’ Imagine howhappy Iwas. When you hear Ben’s story, I’m sure you will feel as I do, that Ben may have had to stand on books to reach the podium in Nuremberg, but he is a giant of aman among men.”
Toward the end of the movie, one scene depicts Ferenczwalking into acommunity pool, greeting a woman as she leaves and then Ferencz stretching before swimming laps, which had the audience laughing.
Ferencz said that he does not anticipate retiring anytime soon — saying he does not like golfing or fishing — and that his goal is to help create a better world for younger and future generations through law, notwar.