The pristine German school city of Tübingen prospers immediately, in stark distinction to its darkish previous.
The southwestern metropolis of 90,000 was as soon as house to Theodor Dannecker, a Nazi captain and one of many closest aides to Adolf Eichmann, generally known as the “architect of the Holocaust.” In 1933, the College of Tübingen, the place most of the notorious Nazi troopers generally known as SS skilled till 1945, proudly billed itself as “Jew free.” Nowadays, Tübingen is acknowledging its painful historical past to be able to rise above it.
“We are able to solely reside right here as Christians on this congregation if we take duty for the historical past of this metropolis,” Jobst Bittner, founding father of each Tübingen’s TOS Church and the March of Life initiative, the place descendants of Nazis arrange marches in opposition to antisemitism with Christians and Jews all through the world, advised Israel’s Channel 11.
Nazi descendant Frank Pfeiffer, left, embraces Holocaust survivor Yechiel Aleksander. (March of Life)
The tv outlet’s report confirmed a banner throughout the home windows of the TOS church that learn “Convey Them Dwelling Now,” a name to launch almost 100 Israeli and American hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023. Contained in the church is a retailer with merchandise and books about Israel. Downstairs is the “Museum of Guilt,” which shows footage of Nazis from Tübingen, with pictures of mass graves that had been as soon as hidden in cigar bins as souvenirs of the Holocaust.
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One other phase within the report confirmed younger folks from the church singing “Am Yisrael Chai” (“The Individuals of Israel Dwell”) although they barely know Hebrew. Through the vacation of Sukkot, they construct sukkahs (non permanent huts) to rejoice the Israelites’ freedom from enslavement in Egypt.
Heinz Reuss, an elder at TOS Church and worldwide director of the March of Life, described final yr’s Sukkot celebrated within the Market Sq. within the heart of city as “very stunning.” He stated that the rabbis from the following city got here to Tübingen to recite blessings, identical to he does throughout Hanukkah after they mild the menorah candles.
The previous Auschwitz-Birkenau focus camp that the Nazis ran in occupied Poland is now a memorial and museum. (March of Life)
The musical, “A Ship Makes Historical past,” primarily based on the story of a Holocaust survivor and Exodus, has additionally been carried out throughout Hanukkah. Michaela Buckel, program director of the March of Life motion and creator of the play, described the way it teaches kids in regards to the Holocaust in a non-threatening means and that she was impressed by the resiliency of the Jewish folks after the Holocaust.
“I needed to focus the play on this willingness to reside and to struggle for brand new life, although it is arduous,” she stated.
Reuss stated the Christians at his church rejoice among the Jewish holidays as a gesture of friendship and to acknowledge “that’s the place the blessing comes from, the Jewish roots.”
Addressing the city’s antisemitic historical past, Reuss remembered a turning level in 2003, when plenty of congregants began to find that their very own relations had been Nazis.
“It was a strong time of repentance and in addition of therapeutic indirectly,” he stated.
Holocaust survivor Irene Shashar will communicate at TOS Church in Tübingen, Germany, on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is marked on Jan. 27. (Daina Le Lardic)
TOS worship chief Kim-Sophie Kasch, 24, advised Fox Information Digital that when she was 7 years outdated, after her great-grandfather died, her household found that he was a Nazi. He had been a part of the Wehrmacht armed forces of Nazi Germany and had been in European areas “the place they dedicated crimes in opposition to the Polish-Lithuanian inhabitants (and) additionally the Jews who lived there.”
Kasch described her father as being “actually shocked when he heard about his grandpa.”
Reuss stated that when TOS church congregants came upon there have been eight focus camps positioned round Tübingen, in addition to the grim trails of dying marches, “the whole lot grew to become seen. Everybody noticed it.”
He described how they organized a prayer march with descendants of Holocaust survivors and descendants of Nazis, which grew to become a three-day occasion.
“It was very, very significant for us,” stated Reuss.
Since 2007, March of Life occasions have been held in a whole bunch of cities in additional than 20 nations, the place Holocaust survivors and descendants of Nazis go to focus camp websites and mass graves throughout Europe.
In 2009, the motion expanded to the USA, the place it grew to become generally known as the March of Remembrance, a memorial stroll each spring on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day.
“The message is remembrance, reconciliation and making a stand for Israel and in opposition to antisemitism,” Reuss stated. “It teaches the teachings of the Holocaust, and we encourage folks to actually face the historical past of antisemitism in their very own households.”
Reuss stated his great-grandfather from the Netherlands, who was an Orthodox reform Christian, saved Jewish lives by refusing to signal a declaration stating that he was not Jewish as a result of he didn’t need to betray his Jewish buddies. He expressed disappointment that his German grandfather on his father’s aspect didn’t show the identical braveness and withdrew from Jewish folks.
“It is so essential to actually communicate out and never be silent in your private environment and your workspace, as a result of that is antisemitism. It’s evil. It is one thing that does not cease with the Jews,” Reuss stated.
Reuss advised Fox Information Digital how this yr, for Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, survivor Irene Shashar, who was born on Dec. 12, 1937, as Ruth Lewkowicz, can be honored on the TOS church. She is going to communicate the day earlier than, telling congregants her story of survival in Warsaw.
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The Nazis invaded Shashar’s homeland of Poland when she was 2 years outdated, and her father was murdered when she was 5. Shashar credit her mom’s ingenuity for serving to her to outlive by hiding her in closets and sewers along with her beloved doll, Laleczka. Referring to her two kids and 7 grandchildren at a U.N. speech in 2020, she declared, “I survived … Hitler didn’t win and I’ve proof.”
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