On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, JF&CS welcomed Holocaust Survivor Ben Walker to address our staff.

Ben’s story began in Romania. He recounted the horrific, inhumane treatment he and his family faced in concentration camps at the hands of the Nazi army: his father died from freezing temperatures when groups of people were relegated to live in barns, and they were near starvation. Seeking a chance for survival, Ben’s mother entrusted him to an orphanage, where he lived until he could reunite with her after the war. He then spent two years in Israel, while his mother moved to Orlando to be near his uncle, before he eventually joined her in Florida.

Despite everything, Ben says he has had a good life: he married, moved to Georgia, became a parent, and worked in education and insurance before moving into real estate. He’s raised children and grandchildren, been a devout member of his synagogue, and still plays tennis every week, now well into his nineties.

“I kept my mouth shut about the Holocaust for 56 years, not even (talking about it) to my wife and children,” said Ben. “I didn’t want it to define me—I wanted to be a normal person, moving on and taking advantage of what this country has to offer. And I did, and it’s a privilege to take that route.”

“Then, 9/11 happened,” he continued. “3,000 Americans went to work and never came home. I decided at that time that I have a message and want to speak about it. And now, I’ve been speaking about it for 25 years.”

By sharing his experience, Ben not only honors those who were lost but also challenges each of us to confront hatred, prejudice, and antisemitism wherever we see it, ensuring that the lessons of the past continue to guide the present.

Never again.

Learn more about our Holocaust Survivor Services here.