THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
28 Friday, March 1, 1980
Holocaust Survivors to Hold World Convention in Israel in 1981
NEW YORK (JTA) —
The six years he spent in
Nazi concentration camps,
including two at Auschwitz,
between the ages of 16 and
22, left Ernest Michel with a
major goal. "When I was in
the camps I had a dream
that someday we would all
be able to come together as
one and say to Jews and
non-Jews all over the world
that what happened to Ifs
must never happen again in
human history," he said in
an interview with the
Jewish Telegraphic
Agency.
Michel, who is executive
vice president of the United
Jewish Appeal-Federation
of Jewish Philanthropies of
New York, said he believes
this dream will be fulfilled
with a gathering of Jewish
Holocaust survivors and
their children in Israel,
June 15-18, 1981.
"This event will say" that
the Holocaust must never
reoccur, Michel said. "As
such I believe it will be a
unique event in Jewish his-
tory. It is something we owe
to the memory of those who
didn't survive and to our-
selves."
At a press conference
officially announcing the
World Gathering of
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Jewish Holocaust Sur-
vivors, Michel added that
the four-day gathering is
also something owed to
"future generations."
The gathering was also
announced at press con-
ferences in Paris and
-
Melbourne.
Michel is chairman of the
World Gathering, which
will be held under the
patronage of Israeli Pre-
mier Menahem Begin.
Author Elie Wiesel, chair-
man of the U.S. President's
Commission on the
Holocaust, and Simone
Veil, president of the Euro-
pean Parliament, are hon-
orary chairmen.
Kalman Sultanik, vice
president of the World
Jewish Congress and a
member of the World
Gathering's executive
committee, said that the
conference comes at a "sym-
bolic" moment when, "as in
the time of Hitler," not only
Israel and the Jewish people
are threatened "but all
mankind."
Sultanik, a member of the
underground in Poland dur-
ing World War II, said that
after the Holocaust the sur-
vivors believed that "anti-
Semitism would vanish and
that the state of Israel
would be secure within de-
fensible borders and in turn
provide security for the
Jews of the Diaspora." But
he said the United Nations
General Assembly resolu-
tion equating Zionism with
racism demonstrated that
.
"the blatantly biased major-
ity of Arab petrodollars and
Soviet-dominated delegates
seek to delegitimize the
state of Israel."
A statement was read
from Wiesel, who was in
Washington reporting on
his recent visit to Cam-
bodia, in which the
Holocaust survivor noted
that "Only in remember-
ing what has happened to
our brothers and sisters
under the Nazi oppres-
sion can we expect`to be
able to remind and advise
the rest of the world how
to prevent another catas-
trophe. Only in remem-
bering what happened to
us can the world assure
that it will not happen to
others."
In his interview with the
JTA, Michel said that the
idea for the gathering origi-
nated in talks he had over
the years with members of
Kibutz Netzer Sereni, a
kibutz made up of survivors
of Buchenwald. The talks
have been expanded in the
last two years to include
survivor groups in the
United States and
elsewhere.
Michel said the decision
to hold the gathering ,in
1981 was made because this
would be the 36th anniver-
sary of the liberation of the
concentration camps, which
is twice Chai (18), the
Jewish symbol of life. "It
will be a celebration of life,"
he said.
This will be an event that
will not be repeated, Michel
noted, since most of the sur-
vivors are in their 60s or
70s. He said the entire event
is being run by survivors
who make up the executive
committee. There is also an
international leadership
committee made up of heads
of Jewish communities and
Jewish leaders.
Michel said the World
Gathering will begin at
Yad Vashem, the
Holocaust memorial in
Jerusalem. He said sur-
vivors will be asked to
bring a tape recording
telling of their experi-
ences which will be de-
posited at Yad Vashem.
In addition, they are
asked to bring a rock or
stone from their coun-
tries which will be made
into a "monument of
those who lived, dedi-
cated to those who died."
Other planned events in-
clude a march through
Jerusalem to the Western
Wall; simultaneous meet-
ings at three kibutzim
founded by Holocaust sur-
vivors, Netzer Sereni,
Lochamei Haghettaot, and
Yad Mordechai; the collec-
tion and exhibition of per-
sonal Holocaust keepsakes
brought to the gathering;
and a rally at Ramat Gan
Stadium where a "Written
Testament to Future Gen-
erations" will be signed by
all survivors and presented
to the second generation.
There will also be special
programs for children and
grandchildren of survivors.
Michel said that no one
knows how many survivors
are still alive, although the
estimates are several
hundred thousand. He said
he believes 10,000-15,000
people may come to the 1981
gathering, which would
make it the largest number
of persons to come to Israel
for a single event.
He said one result of
the conference, hope.;
fully, is the putting to-
gether of a list of sur-
vivors.
For information, write
the World Gathering of
Jewish Holocaust Sur-
vivors, 1 Park Ave., Suite
418, New York, N.Y. 10016.
Jewish Public
Employees' Unit
CHICAGO — The Na-
tional Council of Jewish
Government Employee
Organizations, Inc., a wel-
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organizations of county,
city, state and federal em-
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is seeking to expand its
membership.
The group fights dis-
crimination and other prob-
lems confronting the Jewish
employee in government
and public service.
For information, write
Herman R. Fiarman, 7075
N. Paulina, Chicago, Ill.
60626.
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