Holocaust survivor Erika Eckstut spoke at the University last night as students, faculty and community members gathered for a 24-hour vigil sponsored by the University of Virginia Jewish organization Hillel.
The Day of Holocaust Remembrance event began last night with opening remarks from Peter Ochs, Jewish Studies Professor.
"This is a time for reflection on what happened to us in the Holocaust," Ochs said. "This is a day to reflect on the losses of our people."
Ochs talked about how the Holocaust continues to affect people today.
"Ponder then, if you would, the loss of body, the loss of social body and the loss of a body of knowledge," he urged the audience. "Who are we now without all those? Who are you? [This vigil] begins as a time to stop and reflect on who we are."
The evening continued with a selection from Peter Weiss' play "The Investigation," performed by several students and faculty members.
The scene performed was entitled, "Song of the Possibility of Surviving" and was based off of texts from war crime trials, according to one of the actors.
Ochs then introduced Holocaust survivor Erika Eckstut, commenting on the importance of hearing Holocaust experiences firsthand.
In her talk, Eckstut shared her Holocaust experiences with the group, starting with her early childhood in Czechoslovakia and Romania.
Eckstut also described one night in which violent attacks against Jews were carried out in her town.
"That night was the worst night I have ever had, and I had an awful lot of bad nights during the war," Eckstut said. "[Mobs] killed the rabbi and his two sons, and then they killed the men like they were nothing."
Eckstut's uncle was also killed on that night.
Eckstut went on to talk about her time in the Czernowitz ghetto.
"I can't even describe how bad it was," she said. "There was no food. There was no school. It was really a stepping stone to the concentration camps."
With false papers saying they were Greek Orthodox, Eckstut and her sister eventually escaped from the ghetto and went to Kiev.
Speaking about a close encounter she and her sister had with the police, Eckstut said, "When people asked me how I survived, I really don't know, but that was a miracle, it really was."
Eckstut was eventually reunited with her parents, and she shared some advice that her father gave her.
"You cannot hate anybody, because when you hate, you are just the ones who will suffer," Eckstut said her father told her. "Please, don't hate anybody. You don't have to love everybody, but don't hate anybody. Maybe if there would be more love, what we have now would not be going on."
Eckstut's talk was followed by a brief service on the South Lawn and the start of the name reading of Holocaust victims, which will continue until 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Read More
Department of Education reverses course, awards Federal Executive Institute to U.Va.
By Ford McCracken | 2 days agoThe ED had previously awarded the institute to Charlottesville City Schools.
Students reflect on the life and legacy of Pope Francis
By Bertie Azqueta | 3 days agoAt the University, students shared a range of perspectives on his legacy of reform, inclusivity and his impact on the global Catholic community.
What does the University’s contract with dining service Aramark entail?
By Brandon Kile | 3 days agoThe Cavalier Daily submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the University for its contract with Aramark to understand the specific terms of the agreement.
