Holocaust Survivor Speaks of Courage

NORFOLK, Va. - A Holocaust survivor, spoke of his experiences during U.S. Fleet Forces Command's (USFF) observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Sponsored by the USFF heritage committee, the remembrance day was part of an ongoing effort by the heritage committee to acknowledge different ethnic groups' cultural and historical impact.

Anne Fleder from the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater Holocaust Commission started the ceremony by introducing David Katz and focusing on the significance of the day.

"Our survivors can teach us a great deal," said Fleder. "They have experienced the horrors firsthand and are the living eyewitnesses to the terrifying murder known as the Holocaust."

"The story of the Holocaust has to be kept alive for our future generations," said Katz. "We use our story of survival during the Holocaust to demonstrate what happens when there is hatred in the world."

Born in Leipzeg, Germany, on Feb. 12, 1930, Katz saw firsthand the segregation and demoralization of the Jewish population at the hands of the Third Reich. In 1937, as life for Jews became difficult, Katz and his parents left Germany.

"The hatred in Germany became worse," said Katz. "Even signs in the parks would say things like 'No Dogs, No Jews'."

Katz and his family found refuge in Brussels, but they were on the run again when Germany attacked Brussels in May 1940. Before long, they were caught. Katz and his mother were sent to one camp, his father to another. Finally, Katz was rescued and sent to an orphanage, but his fear of being captured again led him from France to Switzerland, wearing only the clothes on his back and eating whatever food he could find. After five months of walking, Katz was unable to get past the guards at the Swiss border and he found refuge with a Catholic priest. Following the German surrender, lived in a Paris orphanage, where he received word that his parents had been murdered in the Auschwitz gas chambers.

"The year was 1945. I was 15 years old, and had seen and suffered enough to last a hundred years," said Katz. "I arrived in the United States on the SS Desirade on April 16, 1946 to join the wonderful uncle and aunt who raised me as their own."

Throughout the remembrance, Katz resounded a message of opposition in the face of tyranny, no matter where or when.

"Although we associate the word Holocaust with the destruction of the Jewish community during World War II, we have Holocausts by other names going on in the world," said Katz. "It's going to be up to all of us to prevent Holocausts by any name from being perpetrated against anyone ever again."

"You can go to a million museums and never be able to get the emotional impact that Mr. Katz communicated," said Yeoman 2nd Class (SW) Tiffany Y. Norwood, chairman of the Heritage Committee. "It made it more real for me."

"His story was very inspirational for me," said Yeoman 1st Class (SW/SCW) Karen R. Copeland. "Mr. Katz experienced more pain before the age of 14 than many experience in a lifetime. His story of survival and hope makes me realize how much we take for granted."