Holocaust survivors walk to remember, honor those killed

A local woman who survived the Holocaust was among more than 100 people who participated in an event Saturday to memorialize those who were killed.

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The Holocaust Center and Community Day School sponsored the “Walk to Remember,” which brought together Holocaust survivors, their families and strangers.

Holocaust survivor Shoshanna Nemoy said she can’t believe the outpouring of love and support at the event in Squirrel Hill.

Born in a Nazi concentration camp in 1941, Nemoy said there are no words to describe what she and millions of Jews went through.

“I don't know how you verbally explain it. I’m in a unique position because I was born into that situation so I didn't have anything to compare it to, but you kind of instinctively knew that this was not normal,” Nemoy said.

The event not only allowed those who lived through the terror to share their stories of survival, but it honored those who died. Participants walked around the Community Day School six times to memorialize the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust.

Jackie Savage-Gelernter organized the walk after listening to her mother-in-law, who is also a Holocaust survivor, speak to a group of graduate students at Duquesne University.

“As trauma students, they realized that she had courage strength, bravery and hope. And with those four things, they thought their lives were changed for the better,” Savage-Gelernter said.

In another example of strength and courage, Nemoy said she remembers having to sleep with rats in the barracks and recalled the death of her father in Buchenwald. But even in those dark times, her family still found joy.

“One of the things I pass on is the way we survived is (that) my mother used to say, ‘If you didn't laugh today, you didn't live today.’ And so we had to find -- even in the camp -- we had to find something to laugh at, because part of making joy is you don't wait until you're in the mood. You create it,” she said.

More than 150 people took part in the event. All of the proceeds will go to the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh and Community Day School.

Cox Media Group