Beth El hosts 3rd Generation Holocaust Survivor on Yom HaShoah

By Ilyse Greene Beth El - The Beaches Synagogue

On Erev Yom HaShoah, Daniel Ostfeld shared the moving and heroic story of his grandfather, Hillo Ostfeld, with his Beth El family and friends. Hillo Ostfeld was born in 1926, in what was then Romania and is now a part of Ukraine. In 1941, he endured horrific passage by cattle-car to Transnistriawhere life was “a hell of torment and suffering”, and where tens of thousands were murdered. In 1942, Hillo was moved to another forced labor camp where “there was no reason to hold on longer to life in such a state of horror, deprivation, and abandonment.” But he did hold on, and in 1944 he returned to his hometown and was faced with the question of how to resume his life. Hillo married another survivor in 1948, and lived for a while in Israel before moving to Caracas, Venezuela. He had three children and met eight great-grandchildren before his death in 2018 at 92 years old. Daniel ended his story with the assertion that his grandfather always said that “Russians saved his life, Israel gave him back his dignity, and Venezuela gave him back faith in the human race.”

After sharing his grandfather’s story, Matthew Levenson conducted a Q&A with Daniel and members of the captivated audience.

The importance of Yom HaShoah lies not only in its commemoration of the past, but also in its relevance to the present and future. As the number of survivors dwindle, it becomes increasingly important to remember stories like Hillo’s and to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten.

Daniel ended his talk with this observation, “You know, what is the opposite of good? It’s not bad, it is the indifference, apathy, and blindness the world had during this horrifying time.” At a time when antisemitism and other forms of bigotry are on the rise around the world, the message of Yom HaShoah is more important than ever. By remembering the victims of the Holocaust and committing ourselves to creating a more just and inclusive world, we honor their memory and help ensure that such atrocities are never allowed to happen again.