The conversation took place at the end of a very long, intense day. A. is directing the film. She is a 24-year-old survivor of terror seriously wounded in high school on a Jerusalem bus. She suffered burns on most of her body and many of her facial bones were broken. Today Adar is in her third year of film school at a Tel-Aviv College.

We filmed all day, starting in Sderot and ending in Tel-Aviv . It was late at night and I had just finished interviewing S., a 28-year-old music student whose father was murdered in an off-shore terror attack when she was four years old.  During the interview, S. spoke candidly about constantly seeking out people who knew her father and her quest for answers to circumstances surrounding his murder.

The cameras stopped rolling and there were several minutes of silence. I asked S. how she felt:

“I feel great, it’s good to get it out. I can’t talk about my life to just anyone.”

Despite her quest for information about her father and the terror attack, she consciously alters her biography when meeting new people.

“I used to tell people my father was murdered in a terror attack, but I could not deal with their responses “They don’t know what to ask , they don’t know what to say.”

A. replied, “I have long done the same. When someone sees the burn scars on my hand and  asks me what happened, I tell them a lie,– that I cut myself in kindergarten-I don’t want to deal with the awkward responses.”

When people hear that I am the ATZUM social worker, they often remark they would never want to listen to other people’s problems all day.

The fact is sometimes it is sad, heartbreaking, frustrating, angering –  but it is also a learning experience and highly rewarding. We listen and guide, we re-educate and offer assistance, we initiate change and we learn.

This film has taken on new meaning. It’s not just about giving voice to the trauma and the struggle to recover.  It is about how we, you, me, the community as a whole, respond to those struggles. It is that dialogue, between those who wish to speak out and we who must learn to listen, that gives voice to the challenge of change.

In March ATZUM staff attended two funerals. The funerals were entirely different but during both we parted from remarkable women, brought to rest in a special plot for Righteous Among the Nations and their spouses in Tel-Aviv’s Kiryat Shaul Cemetery.

The first funeral was of Shura Gordon z”l, the Jewish spouse of rescuer Valentin Avdenko, from Holon. Shura was an amazing woman, always with a big smile and much warmth. Her funeral was attended by a small group of family. As the majority of the family does not speak Hebrew, Raya Luvitch, ATZUM’s Russian-speaking staff member, was able to translate and help with the arrangements concerning for the funeral. Raya also gave the only eulogy at the funeral, speaking of Shura’s great capacities for warmth, giving and love.

The second funeral, a few days later, was that of Righteous Among the Nations Irena Landau (nee’ Jankiewicz). During the War, Irena, then a young Polish woman of 22, left her parents and siblings and shaped her life around saving Jews. She got a job in a beer factory, making sure her income could support the group of Jews she was helping. After work, at night, she would sneak into the forest with food and other necessities for the Jews under her care, a group that grew rapidly after news of her actions spread. One of these Jews was Jozef Czarny who eventually reached Irena’s care after escaping from Treblinka (Czarny was to become a lead witness in the Demjanjuk trials). During the winters, Irena would find hiding places in different areas, often paying people to shelter the Jews. She would smuggle her people to the hiding places one at a time, under great danger, managing to save a 15 Jews.

Rabbi Levi Lauer, Founding Executive Director of ATZUM, officiated at the funeral. It was very important to the family Irena be buried in a Jewish ceremony, as she cast her lot with the Jewish people not only during the war but throughout her life. Irena married Aharon Landau, one of the Jews she rescued and had three children together. Together with Aharon’s son from his first marriage, whom Irena saved as well (Aharon’s first wife and one of his two sons were killed during the war), the Landau family realized their dream of moving to Israel in 1957.

In addition to the eulogies by family members and ATZUM staff honoring Irena’s heroic actions, love for her husband and modesty, a daughter of one of Irena’s survivors spoke as well. How moving it was to see the people who are alive, whose children are alive, due to the actions of Irena Landau z”l.

We spoke at length about who she would meet and what she would see. She was well prepared and was, in fact, a wonderful addition to the day’s events. I am so proud of her empathy and insights into the complexity of the challenges facing the families we visited.

Our first stop was to S., whose husband suffered irreversible damage to his leg in a terror attack many years ago. He later developed other medical issues and has been in a coma for the past year. S. and the children rotate daily visits to him in the hospital.

S., who nursed and cared for him after the terror attack and until his illness last year, never completed her education. She has only worked part-time at basic entry level jobs and now, in her early 50’s, has unsuccessfully sought steady employment. Her husband’s social security benefits barely cover the mortgage, and she was recently diagnosed with cancer.

We visited with S, who was alone for the day watching television. The house was cold and she was dressed in layers of clothing. She explained she could only afford the small heater running next to her feet and that we might want to leave our coats on. We talked and shared some Purim cheer, leaving her with a misholah manot package (the only one she received). She told us she would like to take it to the hospital when she visits her husband.

Our next visit was to a family of six. They have faced many difficult situations, beginning in 1989 when the then young couple was ambushed in Gush Katif. They were both injured and he lost an eye. Despite his handicaps and continuing poor health, he is a dedicated and involved parent who has always worked and been involved in their community. This past year he was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and underwent several surgeries and treatments. His condition is such that he is unable to be cared for at home and is currently in a nursing facility. The children asked that he come home for Purim. With the help of many caring volunteers this was accomplished.

The house was joyfully decorated for Purim and the table set for a festive meal with only the immediate family. After we ate sweets with the children, we watched as they played on the family’s new computer provided by ATZUM so they could do school work and communicate with their father who lost the ability to speak due to his illness.

Our last visit was to a couple in their late 50’s. In June 2003, O. was injured on the #14 Jerusalem bus bombing. They have extremely limited financial resources and no children. She suffers from great post-traumatic stress and when startled by a noise one day a few months ago, fell down her stairs and breaking her shoulder and arm. Her husband is also very ill and neither is able adequately to care for each other. We arrived to a house devoid of Purim’s joyfulness, the shades drawn, both lying in bed. They have often called asking for basic food assistance so we came with hot food for a Purim meal. We set up the food, opened the blinds and stayed to visit.

When we left, the barrage of questions began. Talia’s questions were tough and challenging! She sounded like my colleagues and could easily have contributed to an ATZUM allocations committee, questioning how funds are best used to help in each case.

Talia asked, “Why do they have a television if they are so poor?” I explained they may have owned it prior to the terror attack or it may have been a gift, and added that not everyone knows how best to prioritize their budgets. This is an issue we grapple with every day. How, as part of the rehabilitation process, can we assist educating families by asking these questions and clarifying priorities.?
Talia was also troubled, as am I, that these people have suffered not only the anguish of a terror attack, but in its aftermath now face serious illnesses.

I explained ATZUM recognizes the pain of these families and how at the time of the terror attacks we focused on addressing immediate needs and crisis intervention. We spoke of the realization that the pain and loss continue, but that ATZUM’s job is to help bring focus to the future. How do we best help each family rebuild, attain educations for their children and vocational retraining for others, help them take those crucial steps towards independence?

And what of the illnesses? Do they have anything to do with terror, with the consequences of post trauma? As illness impedes ATZUM’s work helping a family rehabilitate after a terror attack, what should our role be? Tough questions with no easy answers.

Each family bears a grievous burden, each deserves a brighter future. It is our goal and responsibility to help them achieve that future. The process begins by reaching out, asking the tough questions. It continues with carefully prioritized and allocated assistance to the families, made possible by our donors’ generous support.

I thank my daughter for reminding me that asking the questions is just as important as every other step in the process and that there is often not a readily apparent answer or a solution.

In 1942, Ivan began giving shelter to Jews in his native Croatia. Because his town of Topusko was on the German border, the Nazis frequently conducted raids which forced Ivan to escape to the forest with the Jews he was harboring. In Israel, Ivan took on the position of chairman of the Organization for Righteous Among the Nations and worked tirelessly to bring help and support to other rescuers who had also made their home in the Jewish state.

May his memory be blessed.

I was matched up with A, who was twelve years old at the time. His home was just a short walk from my yeshiva, so I could very conveniently walk over every Thursday afternoon. When I met A he seemed like a very nice, though somewhat shy, boy who was very well mannered. I was very unsure what to expect but I settled in to my role as a Big Brother very quickly since A was very warm and expressed great interest in whatever we were doing. Upon his request, we would frequently read over and discuss the weekly Parasha or other Jewish texts together. A, who does not have a particularly religious background, consistently amazed me with his eagerness to learn and challenging questions. Our readings frequently led us to conversations about the state of the world, politics in Israel and even life in general. I have been meeting with A for almost a year and half now and he never fails to impress me with his maturity and open-mindedness. We have developed a very strong relationship, one that I have no doubt will continue even beyond my volunteering with ATZUM.

Last June, I attended A’s bar mitzvah celebration at his home. At one point in the evening he thanked me for learning with him and told me that until we had started doing the Parasha together, he never realized how much depth there is to the Torah. That comment made me realize that I truly had managed to accomplish the goal that I had set out to accomplish with ATZUM. I had found a way to help someone and be a postive influence. However, I never imagined before that I would be able to learn so much from A. Despite all the hardships his family had been through, he never wanted anything more than to continue to learn and to grow. That has been a source of inspiration for me that I’m sure will last.

ATZUM is proud to announce its First Annual Hoops for Hope, 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.

Date: Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Place: Malcha Stadium

All funds raised will be allocated to significantly assist 26 Survivor of Terror families urgently in need of support.

Stay tuned for further details and registration information which will be posted on our website.

Meet N, 33 years and an inspiration. At the age of 21, her father was murdered in a terror attack while at work outside Israel. At the time of his death, N was completing her army service. “I had a great childhood, but due to financial difficulties my father was forced to travel for work. When he was killed I was at loose ends and didn’t know what to do.”

N, a capable student, decided to go to university. As a Survivor of Terror she was entitled to a tuition grant from the National Insurance Institute. Because she was already 21 when her father was killed, she was not entitled to a living stipend. Therefore, while working odd jobs whenever possible, depending on bank loans to get from semester to semester, she studied psychology full-time.

Upon graduation, she took a job at a children’s home as a counselor, where four years later she continues to work part-time. With the help of several second jobs, working nights and summers, she saved enough tuition for her first year of a graduate school program in educational psychology.

N lives with family in Jerusalem; goes to school in Beer-Sheva; and works in Tel Aviv. Much of her studying is done on the bus. She is now in her last year of class work and has started researching her thesis. In September, she will begin a four-year internship. With your generous help ATZUM was privileged to assist N with her tuition this year.

I was deeply moved by N’s story and asked to meet her. I told her she has amazing courage and strength. I asked how she was able to do all this. Her answer was beautiful in its simplicity: “You have dreams, you have goals, and you sacrifice.”

By: Barbara Sofer

On the patio of Nagish Café, a blind man is drinking coffee with a friend who has arrived in an electric wheelchair. Inside, I’m having lunch with the Righteous Among the Nations, a group of women who all risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. We’re in Ramat Yishai, a small town in the Jezreel Valley, emerald green this winter from abundant rain.
Righteous Among the Nations…

Over the past weeks, the probability that we will need to release so many of our malevolent enemies to free Gilad Schalit has weighed heavy on us. In addition, I’ve just finished reading Operation Last Chance, Ephraim Zuroff’s biographical account of his work as a Nazi hunter. Despite the worthy cause, too often mass murderers of our people have succeeded in living out their lives without having to face justice.

In contrast to those evil persons, I am privileged to be surrounded by these living examples of righteousness and valor. A voluntary organization called ATZUM has initiated the gathering. Officially recognized Righteous Among the Nations are entitled to citizenship in Israel. Over the decades since World War II, 100 rescuers have taken advantage of this right and have moved here. Many have passed away, but currently the country is home to a surviving 29 rescuers and nine widow/ers of surviving rescuers. They were youngsters when their parents stood against the tide of anti-Semitism, risking their children to save strangers.

FORMER NAZIS, according to Zuroff, cannot resist opportunities to boast of their past deeds despite the risk involved. The Righteous are exactly the opposite. Ask them why they or their parents saved Jews, and they proffer a simple answer: “It was simply the right thing to do.”

And the children?

“If a child was caught, chances were less that we’d be shot,” explains Lydia Ivnovana Galita, who grew up in a village near Odessa. At age 12, she waited for dark and then carried food to Jews in hiding in a storeroom. Near Lvov, Jaroslawa Lewicki remembers packing the food in her schoolbag with supplies, walking past the Nazis, and delivering it to a bunker where her family is credited with saving 25 Jews, while hiding two more in their home. She was only nine.

ATZUM volunteers provide services for these aging heroes, making sure they get the health and welfare benefits provided under National Insurance, visiting them and hosting gatherings. They speak little Hebrew. Meeting is getting harder. The youngest rescuer is 74; the oldest is 97.

TODAY’S MEETING place, which has drawn rescuers from the North, is taking place in the country’s first café run by persons with disabilities. The name of the restaurant is a play on words in Hebrew: “Nagish” means both “we will serve” and “accessible.”

Physically, mentally, emotionally challenged men and women work at the café. They’ve been involved in planning the layout with its nonslip tile floors and wide doorways. They cook and serve the quiches, soups and salads that make it a popular venue for locals to do lunch or host parties.

“We wanted something pretty and with good food that could compete on its own merits,” says Hester Grinberg-Boissevain, who is the connection between Nagish Café and today’s lunch guests. She is both one of the project’s prime movers and a Righteous Among the Nations.

Born in Amsterdam, Grinberg-Boissevain and her twin brother Charles were the youngest of six children of Sonia and Robert Lucas Boissevain. Finances forced them first to move to a family cottage on the seacoast in Zandvoort, but their home was taken over and destroyed by the Nazis, and they took refuge in an uncle’s home in Haarlem. In March, 1943, her father brought a Jewish family for dinner at their home in Haarlem. They stayed for two years and two months.

“Never, ever tell a secret or a story to anyone,” was her father’s command. “Even one story to one person can be fatal for all.”

Several months after he brought home the Goldbergs, Robert Boissevain, having been active in the resistance, was forced to go into hiding himself. He was caught and tortured and deported to Buchenwald.

SONIA BOISSEVAIN was left alone to care for her own six children and the four hiding Jews. In the frigid Dutch winter, there was no electricity or heating and very little food. She’d read somewhere that their famous Dutch tulips were a source of nutrition, and sent one of her sons, 13, to drag home 400 kilograms of tulip bulbs. The tulips kept them alive.

On April 12, 1945 – Robert and Sonia’s wedding anniversary – the Americans came to liberate Buchenwald.

“Come, let us go and meet them at the entrance,” Robert Boissevain reportedly told his fellow inmates. On his way there, he collapsed and never reached the fence. Despite the torture, he’d died without revealing any stories to the Germans.

“After the war, we didn’t talk about what had happened in Holland,” said Grinberg-Boissevain. She studied nursing. When she saw the newsreels of the sick and emaciated Jewish immigrants on crowded ships arriving at transit camps or on the shores of Israel, she decided to set sail herself and help. She eventually converted to Judaism, changed her name from Hester to Esther, married a Jewish man and brought up two children in Israel. For most of her career, she worked as a nurse in Ramat Yishai. When she retired, she helped launch the Nagish Café project. What better place could there be for a meeting of such good people?

ACCORDING TO ATZUM’s project director, Yael Rosen, there are three reasons Righteous move to Israel. Some come to enjoy better living conditions, but others have married survivors, convert and come here, or identify with the cause of those they’ve saved and not their own countries where the atrocities took place.

“When teaching about the courage and strength of Righteous Among the Nations, we focus both on their lives during the Shoah, and the lives they later established in Israel, why they came and how they built their lives in the Jewish state.”

Seventeen members of Grinberg-Boissevain’s family served in the resistance during the war. Seventeen men and women work at Nagish Café. Says Grinberg-Boissevain, “Life goes on and we were part of it.”

The luncheon was held at the Nagish cafe run by physically, emotionally and mentally disabled people. It is part of a social volunteer project organized by Righteous Among the Nations, Esther Boissevain-Grinberg.

The participants came from Haifa, Nazareth Illit, Tivon and Karmiel and
enjoyed a three course meal and the chance to visit with one another. Esther shared with the group the background of the cafe and the steps towards its establishment. ATZUM’s Russian speaking field worker, Raya, translated Esther’s address, as well as the opening and closing remarks, into Russian for the rescuers that do not understand Hebrew.

It was a wonderful gathering – bringing together honorable, remarkable people in a very special setting.