Tzivia Lubetkin, a leader of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and one of the founders of the Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot and its museum, has previously spoken about the sources of strength and inspiration that the young men and women, members of youth movements and leaders of the resistance against the Nazis, drew upon to rise up in revolt. She said: “Only thanks to the education we received were we able to endure this period…”
Tzivia and her companions, most of whose families were sent to death camps, started leading and educating others even before the uprising began, and continued to do so afterward in Poland, across Europe, and lastly in the young State of Israel, where they built a revival that remains a model of inspiration to this day.
Even during the early years of the war, they established and led educational, cultural, and welfare activities in the ghetto, and when the time came to take up arms and revolt against the Germans, they were there.
Amid tumultuous days, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, I would like to shine a spotlight upon those Holocaust survivors who emerged from the greatest catastrophe ever to befall the Jewish people. It was an event in which entire Jewish communities were destroyed and millions of Jews were murdered, losing their property, their homes, and their families.
These Holocaust survivors, who endured multiple hellish trials, arrived in the young state with nothing, directly into the War of Independence, a war that is still regarded as the hardest and longest in our history.
With their bare hands, they rebuilt their lives, created an admirable education system, established impressive settlements, integrated and led the development of Israeli society and economy, and most importantly – built in this young state an exemplary society that was then regarded as a symbol and model for many countries around the world. A glorious revival.
The great source of strength for these survivors was the education they received, the values they adopted – values of partnership, camaraderie, and personal example. They understood that as a group, as a collective, they could endure even the hardest of times and emerge from them stronger, creating a better future.
Embracing education
The precious resource of education, that Israel needs to adopt more than anything else today, must be embraced.
More than 75 years after its establishment, following over a year and four months of war, of communities that were torn apart, evacuated, and have yet to return, of a generation enduring trauma, the State of Israel and its leaders must learn from the past and internalize the understanding and belief that investment in education and the values that brought about the revival of the state then is the most important and critical investment facing us today – indeed, at an existential level.
Through this fundamental understanding, the economy, security, and most importantly, a strong and benevolent leadership grounded in moral principles, will arise, setting an example for all of us.
Just before International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we have an opportunity to learn from the spirit of those Holocaust survivors who arrived in the young state and to draw inspiration from the very revival they created here.
From them, we must learn today, and from that, form our own priorities, understanding that this is how our strength will be built. Through this, we will heal, grow, and fulfill the dream of the exemplary society that the founders of this state envisioned, which is within our power to realize.
The writer is CEO of the Ghetto Fighters’ House (Lohamei HaGeta’ot). Today, marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Ghetto Fighters’ Museum is holding an event focused on “Pillar of Fire – Leadership and Community,” discussing the leadership of Holocaust survivors in the past and highlighting the contributions of current leaders in the Israeli periphery.