The numbers of Holocaust survivors grows smaller every day. And, soon, we will no longer hear the voices of those who lived history. Those who are still alive today share the events with all who will listen. We will only read it in a book or online, or we see a video or a movie.
Stephan Lewy served as the guest speaker for Holocaust Remembrance Day "Legacy of Perseverance" ceremony in the Hunter Auditorium.
The Natick people were given a glimpse of the strength of persecuted people who were targeted for extermination by the Nazi's.
Lewy, a Holocaust survivor and World War II veteran, spoke about his time as an orphan at the Baruch Auer Bach orphanage which cared for Jewish children through the time he made it to the United States.
"Though I was never sent to a death camp, I suffered many indignities as a child." Said Lewy.
About 100 children survived attempted murder during Kristallnacht, "Night of Broken Glass," when the Nazi's raided Lewy's orphanage. This was one of many atrocities Lewy survived until he arrived in the United States on June 25, 1942 at the age of 17.
Before the Nazi takeover of power in 1933, Europe had a vibrant and mature Jewish culture. By 1945, that culture had been devastated spurring a large emigration to the United States.
The U.S. government gave Lewy the choice of returning to Germany or joining the military when he turned 18 in 1943.
Lewy trained in Military Intelligence in Maryland, specifically psychological warfare. Many Nazi's were captured due to Lewy's interrogation skills. Lewy served in six campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge alongside Gen. George Patton.
Social Sharing