Military Sealift Command civilian support staff and service members gathered for a 'Day of Remembrance 2016, Learning from the Holocaust, Acts of Courage' at Naval Station Norfolk, May 2.

The event, hosted by MSC's Special Emphasis Program, was held to honor the memory of Jewish victims and survivors of Nazi Germany's genocide during World War II.

"The Days of Remembrance for the Holocaust are being observed this year from May 1-8," said Senior Chief Yeoman Nashera Brown. "Today we pause and take this educational opportunity to remind each of us of our personal responsibility to promote equality and inclusion around the world."

Lisa Cohn and Arlene Kessel, representatives from the Holocaust Commission of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, led the presentation.

"Prejudice against or hatred of Jews, known as anti-Semitism, has plagued the world for more than 2,000 years," according to Cohn. "However, the Holocaust is the world's most extreme example of this hatred.

"In 1933 the Jewish population of Europe stood at over 9 million," said Cohn. "By 1945 the Nazis and their collaborators had murdered 6 million Jews, nearly two out of every three Jews in Europe.

"The main purpose of the Holocaust Commission is to provide education," said Cohn. "However, our goal is not just to educate about the Holocaust, but to encourage you to think about the consequences of hatred, prejudice and indifference as they can reside deep inside people's hearts and minds. These are perhaps the greatest threats to our civilization.

"When one follows the news, the daily headlines reveal that history seems to be repeating itself," said Cohn. "The survivors of the Holocaust have much to teach us as they experienced the horrors of genocide themselves and were eyewitnesses to a terrifying period of history.

"Although each survivor has a different story, they all share a common thread," said Cohn. "A personal struggle involving courage, tenacity, luck and eventually survival. Each survival story also has an additional bond in that all of their stories begin with a jolt from normalcy, with a sudden upheaval of everyday life.

"Often in the face of immediate danger, there was little time to pack and all that could be taken was what could be carried," said Cohn. "In many cases even the few possessions which were carried while fleeing their homes were lost as well.

"Imagine not even having a photograph to remember what your family looked like," said Cohn. "This was the reality for many Holocaust survivors."

The presentation featured a video recounting of the Holocaust by David Katz, a Holocaust survivor who passed away in 2012.

Katz was born in Leipzig, Germany, Feb. 12, 1930 to parents who were both classical musicians. His family attempted to escape Nazi Germany after Adolf Hitler assumed power in 1933.

"I can remember in 1936, the Hitler Youth throwing stones at us and beating us on our way to the Jewish school," said Katz. "The Gestapo came to our school and instructed the principal to send everyone home. As we were leaving the school, we could see German soldiers removing the Jewish books and religious sacraments and destroying them in front of the building."

"I still remember that morning. There was a loud knock at our door," continued Katz. "Two SS [Schutzstaffel] officers with drawn weapons [and] gave my grandparents one hour to pack a suitcase for Poland. I remember crying for them not to leave me but they had no choice. That was the last time I saw my grandparents."

The Katz family was attempting to escape Nazi Germany and immigrate to the United States in 1941 when America declared war on Japan and Germany. The declaration of war brought an end to their hope of moving to the United States.

In 1942 Katz's parents were sent to a concentration camp located in Auschwitz. David, at age 12 was sent to and orphanage run by a French children's aid organization. He stayed at the orphanage for a year until a Nazi raid on the orphanage forced him to flee.

According to Katz, "the last thing my father did for me was to hand me his violin. He said, 'Keep it safely. You can give it back to me when we are reunited after the war.'"

Katz never saw his parents again as they were murdered in Auschwitz.

"Nobody should be discriminated against because of their religion, or the color of their skin, or their ethnic or national background," concluded Katz.

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