Holocaust survivors deserve appreciation for strength after tragedy

As a child of Holocaust survivors, I marvel at the bravery of survivors who dedicated their lives to creating a new dynamic generation of Jews. The purpose of this article was to inform the public about the Nazi Archival Records opened after 50 years. I do not know what happened to my family; only my parents and one cousin survived. I know that my grandfather on my father's side was shot and killed by the Nazis, who threw his body onto a truck. I do not know how my other grandparents died, nor do I know the names of my two siblings who were also murdered by the Nazis.

We need to appreciate what we have and never give up hope.

People such as my parents, Jacob and Rachel Rosenberg of blessed memory, shine brightly among those Jews who refused to let their heritage die. Who could imagine that my parents - who lost their parents, brothers, sisters and entire extended families - would encourage their son to become a rabbi? They could have lost all faith, yet through me and my children, their families who perished in the Holocaust live on.

I have been desperately trying for many years to find any information regarding my family who disappeared in the Holocaust, without any success. Miraculously, I found my father's birth certificate when I visited his birthplace in Poland. In my mother's hometown in Poland, there were no records of any Jews ever living there. It was as if the Jews had vanished form the face of the earth.

I live in the hope that perhaps I will find in these opened records a window to my past. I teach Holocaust studies at the Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School in South River, New Jersey; I created this course more than 10 years ago. I beg my students who are the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors to try to find out any information from their grandparents while they are still alive. Often, survivors will relate to grandchildren and share their pasts, while they could not do this with their own children.

Recently my granddaughter, Rachel, was born. She is named after my mother, of blessed memory, a Holocaust survivor. Normally we would have been on vacation, but since her birth was expected, we remained home.

A few days after her birth, the family gathered at my home, including my grandchildren, children and other relatives. My grandson, Akiva, is named after my father, of blessed memory, also a Holocaust survivor. My wife smelled gas in the house; a leak was detected in the street that found its way into our home. We were evacuated immediately. We were told by Public Service Electric & Gas of New Jersey if we had not detected the leak in our house and opened all the windows and doors, it would have blown up with everyone in it, and other homes would have been destroyed.

I felt this was the hand of God and my parents who saved us. The memory of the Holocaust must be kept alive by survivors, their children and grandchildren. We must educate the young to never forget what insane Nazi murderers did to our people. The Holocaust can happen again. We dare not be silent when anti-Semitism raises its ugly head.

Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg

Congregation Beth-El

Edison