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Never Forget

Detroiter is forever changed by 70th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation.

Mike Smith I DJN Foundation Archivist

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The commemoration was held under
what was reportedly the largest tent ever
erected in Europe. It held 3,000 attendees,
bathed in soft blue lighting. Also covered
within the tent was the infamous railroad
entrance to Birkenau, an ominous structure
that is now a visitor's center for the 1.5
million tourists who visited the Auschwitz-
Birkenau Museums in 2014.
This entrance to the massive death camp
was also featured in a dark scene in the
movie Schindler's List.
The railroad tracks
leading into the camp
ran through the middle
of the tent under see-
through Plexiglas.
I could only imagine
the thoughts of the sur-
vivors as they faced the
Mike Smith
entrance to Birkenau.
Seventy years ago, this
was their entrance into
the hell of the camp. But, it was also their
exit in 1945.
It was my distinct honor and privilege
to attend the commemoration, along with
Marcin Chumiecki, director of the Polish
Mission at Orchard Lake Schools in Orchard
Lake. We were invited to attend as special
guests by our friend Piotr Cywinski, execu-
tive director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau
Memorial and Museums in Poland.
In addition to the survivors and guests,
more than 40 different nations sent delega-
tions. Bronislaw Komorowski, president of
Poland, was there, along with U.S. Secretary
of the Treasury Jack Lew.
The presidents of Austria, Bulgaria,
Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Malta,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland and Ukraine;
prime ministers of Belgium, the Czech
Republic, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and
Norway; and royalty including the queen of
Sweden and the crown prince of Denmark,
to name just a few of the dignitaries, also
came to honor the survivors. Other special
guests included filmmaker Steven Spielberg,
who provided support for the event and cre-
ated a film, Voices of Auschwitz, released on
the day of the event.
There were several speeches. Speakers
were solemn and respectful — this was
not a gala celebration — and their main
message: "Remember what happened here;
never forget"
Piotr Cywinski of the Auschwitz-Birkenau
Museums, which are United Nations

8

February 12 • 2015

JP

Cywinski speaks to a crowd in front of a memorial to
se who lost their lives at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Ronald
Laude is next to him; filmmaker Steven Spielberg is in the
foreground wearing a fedora.

AUSTRIA

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ISRAEL

ITALY

RAN

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CZECH REPUBLIC

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Historical sites, provided brief, but direct
remarks to the audience. He stated that the
museums "take on a form of warning, a
horrid warning" for future generations.
Polish President Komorowski also
addressed the audience and noted that we
must prevent any replication of Auschwitz-
Birkenau anywhere in the world.
Three survivors spoke. Roman Kent,
however, completely captivated the audi-
ence. His address was, for me, the highlight
of the event An 85-year-old survivor, Kent
became emotional as he issued a plea to
world leaders to remember what happened
at Auschwitz-Birkenau and to always strive
for tolerance.
"We do not want our past to be our chil-
dren's future," he said to applause, fighting
back tears and repeating those words a
second time.
I sat next to his niece, who had come
from her home in Colorado to be with her
uncle. She described him as "a gentle, nor-
mal, next-door-neighbor type of guy," but
one who had an extraordinary past. She
cried as her uncle spoke.
I must admit I was misty-eyed as well as
her uncle described the humiliation, the
tortures of Auschwitz and his fears for the
future. I was honored to shake his hand
after the event.

Auschwitz-Birkenau survivors at the 70th anniversary program

Ronald Lauder, president of the World
Jewish Congress, also spoke. In the wake of
the murders in France, Lauder gave a stern
warning that anti-Semitism is on the rise,
and he asked world leaders present to work
to prevent another Auschwitz, warning of a
rise in anti-Semitism in today's world.
To say the least, this was a once-in-a life-
time occasion. It is one thing to read about
the Holocaust. As a historian, I often expe-

rience events and people through the pages
of a book. This time, however, I was on the
actual grounds of Auschwitz-Birkenau. I
saw the camps, the ovens and the evil that
is left in the buildings, which are preserved
as museums for the world to consider and
remember. And, I was privileged to listen
to and meet actual survivors. I pledged to
myself to do my part; I will never forget this
day and place.

❑

