Learning from the past ~ lessons for today - Holocaust Education ...

The Holocaust and Newcomers to Ireland
Moti and Riva Neuman
to help and contribute whenever it is needed.
In July 2001 we moved from Israel to Dublin, where Moti
is involved in the high-tech business.
We are enjoying the local culture and people and have
become part of the Irish Jewish community, where we try
As second generation to Holocaust survivors we grew up
surrounded by the Shoah from a very early age. A lot has
been written about the “second generation” and all is true
– this is us! Like a lot of our friends, we grew up missing a
large part of our family and for a long time we thought that
it was normal not to have grandparents, aunts and uncles.
As time passes by, it is not getting easier and we carry our
parents’ pain in our hearts to the point that we almost feel
like we are Holocaust survivors ourselves.
The Holocaust is an inseparable part of our lives and has
definitely affected our view of life, our identity and goals as
individuals and as a part of the Jewish nation.
Vered Zur
Camphill Communities in Co Kilkenny, and we have found
that this environment heightens our own children's
awareness and sensitivity towards people generally, and
towards people with special needs in particular.
My husband, Boaz, and I came from Israel to Ireland seven
years ago with our four children. We are settled in Kilkenny
and have many friends. Boaz holds a degree in Special
Education and also works as a complementary therapist.
My degree is in Education and I am working for my
Masters. We have been living and working in one of the
A few years ago my father started to do research about his
family and to write about it. His family came from
Thessaloniki in Greece. They were a big family, only one of
whom managed to escape from the Holocaust – that was
my grandfather. It was hard for him to talk about his
family. My father is the only child of my grandparents and,
just before the death of his father, he got some information
about the family. When my father came to visit us in
Ireland he brought along his research. The story is
heartbreaking – the family ended their lives in the
concentration camps.
The message must go out loud and clear: there can be no place for racism in Ireland.
Occasions such as this evening powerfully reinforce that message. They strengthen our resolve
to work together to build inclusive communities which embrace diversity.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern,
Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration, January 2005
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