Buchenwald survivors reunite
THE Buchenwald Boys and their families commemorated and celebrated the 72nd anniversary of their liberation this month.
THE Buchenwald Boys and their families commemorated and celebrated the 72nd anniversary of their liberation this month.
A commemoration was held on Sunday, April 9 at Springvale Cemetery, where there is a memorial to Buchenwald. The camp, located in Weimar, Germany, was liberated by the American military on April 11, 1945.
Jake Seymour, grandson of Buchenwald Boy Henry Salter, spoke about his recent visits to Auschwitz and Buchenwald.
“Throughout my visit [to Buchenwald], I was constantly thinking how I would be able to walk out the gates at any time, and how my grandfather did not have that same choice,” Seymour said.
“I’m not sure how my Zaide will ever really know how much his story means to me. His willingness to persevere and survive is something that I continue to draw great inspiration from when I find situations hopeless or difficult in my own life.”
Also speaking on the day was Michael Oliver, nephew of the late Joseph Gelbart, who drew on his uncle’s memoirs about his Holocaust experiences. Gelbart’s recollections were of him surviving only through luck when so many of his family and peers lost their lives in the Shoah.
Joe Scwarzberg spoke on behalf of the Buchenwald Boys, and recounted how they became a family after their liberation, and subsequently rebuilt their lives.
“Each of us Buchenwalders had our own unique story of survival. But there was one thing that we all had in common. We had all lost most of our families to the Nazi regime. So we formed a new family together,” Scwarzberg said.
“We re-created a bond like brothers, which still exists today.”
Sadly, the numbers of surviving Buchenwald Boys are dwindling – but there were seven present on the day.
“Once we arrived in Australia, we quickly went about the business of forming new lives for ourselves,” Scwarzberg said.
“We were able to make sure that our children grew up in warm, loving homes, and received the education that we were denied. And all this time, we continued to support one another.”
He spoke of the connections the Buchenwald Boys in Australia maintain with Buchenwald survivors around the world, describing “truly a global family”.
“Against Hitler’s evil wishes, we continue the chain of Jewish life and tradition through our children and grandchildren. We have left a legacy that will continue for generations to come.”
Following the commemoration, the traditional ‘Buchenwald Ball’ was held in the form of a lunch at Armadale Bowls Club, and attended by more than 150 people.
The celebratory event featured music, dancing, and speeches and songs from the Buchenwalders and their descendants.
PHOEBE ROTH
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