My Holocaust Experience
A survivor tells his story for the very first time.
by Ben Hiller

After participating in the November 2010 Aish.com Mission to Israel, Mr Ben Hiller was inspired to share his experiences during the Holocaust for the very first time, as a legacy to his family and future generations.

Mr Hiller, born in Grojec, Poland, is one of 17 survivors of a city that once had a Jewish population of 7,000.

In this clip he recalls his Holocaust experiences through various ghettos, a labor camp and Theresienstadt.

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Published: November 24, 2010
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Visitor Comments: 8

(7) Beverly Kurtin, April 19, 2012 9:47 PM

Thank you

Every time I hear another Shoah survivor, my guts clench for those who did not survive. As a young girl, I was in the audience when the first newsreels showing the result of the Nazi's unfathomable fall into savagery were shown. Although very young, I went into shock. When the movie was over I did not budge an inch. Those walking skeletons and corpses were MY people. The ushers tried to tell me it was time to leave; I could not hear him. I was frozen in horror. Finally, someone figured that I was in shock. When I finally snapped out of the shock I started to cry and scream and scream and scream. In the meantime, my parents were called and they came to get me, My father stayed while my mother took me to someplace, I don't remember where because I was still trying to rid my eyes from what had happened, what I had seen. After my father had seen the newsreel, he understood my behavior. He, too, had had an emotional reaction; how could he not? To this day, some 65 years later, the images are still burned into my mind and why to this day I react so emotionally, sometimes violently, when I see films about the Shoah. But I cannot prevent myself from watching them...we must NEVER forget. How any one can be so hate filled that they can deny that the Shoah happened is totally beyond my ability to understand, so I don't even bother trying. On a different, but related subject, I recently discovered where the term antisemitism came from and WHY the term was coined. Wilhelm Marr, a perennial looser who blamed Jewish employers for whom he worked for his failures. He argued that Jewish emancipation resulting from German liberalism had allowed the Jews to control German finance and industry. He thought that the term Jew-hate was too harsh so he coined "antisemitism." Towards the end of his life, he renounced his own Jew-hate which is puzzling as while he was a rabid antisemite he married two Jewish women. Thanks go to every survivor for telling their stories; I love them.

(6) Anonymous, March 24, 2012 9:25 PM

Fajga Rajter born in Grojec in 1907, Holocaust victim

Fajga was my deceased husband's birth mother. I would love to talk to someone who might have known her or her family in Grojec. She immigrated to Paris, but I do not know when. Her son, Leon, was born in Paris 8n 1940 before she was deported to Auschwitz, where she died.

(5) Rachel, March 20, 2012 3:00 AM

Thank You

Thank you Mr Hiller! I started this video and couldn't stop till the end. Your life story and attitude about it are an inspiration - may you and your family be blessed.

(4) Anonymous, March 2, 2012 3:28 AM

I saw him today at the holocaust museum he is now 86 years old he told us about his life he was one of the 17 survivors in his city.

(3) Jim.Wright, July 12, 2011 4:33 PM

The Holocaust

The story should be a reminder of what took place during the holocaust,and staying ever watchful of how the world percieves Israel today.I will forever keep Israel in my thoughts and prayers.If there was ever a time that Israel has needed AMERICA it is now,Right now,and I ask everyone who reads this,Please Stand Now.I am an American,proud to be,and know the true hearts of our people.So I will boldly ask all of you to stand for what is right and just.Contact Senators,Congress,the White House,whoever andwhatever it takes,just please take a STAND.

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About the Author

Ben Hiller

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