The Holocaust Remembered in California

“Earl Greif was sent to a starvation camp in Poland during World War II with his parents, his brother, Lou, and his baby sister.  In April of 1943, the Nazi Gestapo began clearing out the camp, preparing to move on.  They shot his sister and parents in a ditch along with hundreds of other prisoners.  

Sixteen year-old Earl and ten year-old Lou crawled unnoticed into an oven, and hid through the day and night.  They crawled out when things were quiet and escaped into the surrounding forest, where they lived for the next four months, surviving on berries, mushrooms and bird eggs.  They were frightened to emerge because they thought the Nazi’s might still be around.

In the fall, the chilling onset of winter forced them to move on, so they split up and each got work on a farm, pretending not to know each other.  In 1947, the brothers came to the United States.”

On December 6, 2009, Greif’s dream came true with the opening of the Tolerance Education Center. 

 “This is my vision.
I have begun my vision with the intent to create a better society, which includes higher education and closer access to the reality of the Holocaust. I cannot do it alone. I would very much appreciate any contribution to the Tolerance Education Center. Help me finish this important project. If you believe in the future, in the co-existence of all human beings, in educating your children and grandchildren, please fund this project. As always, for your benefit, your contribution is tax deductible. We will also accept DVD’s, home movies, books, photographs and even written memories of personal accounts. What ever you would like to contribute would very much help the cause for a tolerant society.

I have always been involved in educating the people around me with the powerful effects of hatred and bigotry. Pause and think about these indescribable atrocities which took place in Europe during the Holocaust era;

• Eleven million innocent men, women and children were murdered.
• Six million Jews died only because of their religion.
• One-point-five million children were sent to the gas chambers.
• Five million others were murdered, those who were Jehovah Witness, Gypsies, physically handicapped, mentally ill, and Homosexuals.
• I was there. Help me bring my stories and the stories of eleven million others to the public. “

The Center is open to the public at no cost,  and Greif especially wants to reach out to young people;  the Center will pay the transportation costs within Riverside County to encourage schools to bring students to learn about the Holocaust. 

 Along with viewing the exhibits, visitors can use individual carrels to watch and listen to a Holocaust survivor tell his or her horrific tale of survival.

 It was a surprise to learn that there are ninety-two known Holocaust survivors living in the Coachella Valley.  They were honored at the opening ceremony.

 As we recall the horrors of the Holocaust, let’s also recall that between 1901 and 2008, more than 750 Nobel Prizes have been awarded.  Of these, at least 163 went to Jews. 

 The extraordinary Irena Sendler rescued 2500 innocent children from the Nazis.  She was tortured by the Gestapo but survived.  In 2007, she was finally recognized and nominated for the Nobel but was passed over in favor of the gaseous Al Gore.  Mrs.  Sendler died shortly thereafter.

We must never forget.  May God bless Israel and keep her safe.