There are friendships that seem impossible. One such friendship connects Holocaust survivor Uri Hirsch and Delly Hezel, an employee of Christians Standing with Israel. Here, they both share what unites them despite all their differences.
By Delly Hezel and Hannah Trusch
Uri Hirsch on his encounter with Delly Hezel:
"June 27, 2023 was a significant day in my life because I had the opportunity to meet a remarkable woman, Delly Hezel, at one of my lectures about my family's experiences during the years of the Second World War.".
For several years now, I have been giving lectures in English and Hebrew to local audiences in Israel. My goal is to reach as many people as possible and share as much information as possible. It is my deepest desire to inform anyone who will listen about some of the events of those dark years. It is especially important to me that young people attend these lectures, as they are likely to know little about what happened and will hopefully tell their future children about it. What happened must never be forgotten! I have had the opportunity to speak to many different groups, including schoolchildren, university students, soldiers, and even a large class of police trainees, in addition to "ordinary" adults.
"A welcome event"
When I met Delly, I was very impressed by the organization she represents. I wanted to learn more about what Christians Standing with Israel e.V. does. Unfortunately, in today's world, Israel not only has to fight against barbaric monsters like the ones who attacked our country on October 7, 2023, but it also has to defend itself against many uninformed and antisemitic groups around the globe. Therefore, it was a truly gratifying and refreshing experience to discover a group of dedicated Christians who support Israel. On subsequent visits, I was delighted to learn more about the organization. I appreciate their work and hope it continues for many years to come.
When I was invited to spend a week in my birthplace of Hamburg in early June 2024, I decided to first make a detour to Sachsenhausen to see with my own eyes what my late father experienced as a prisoner in this infamous concentration camp in 1938. I also immediately thought of Delly, who lives in Germany, and invited her to accompany me as much as possible during this visit. She joined my daughter and me on the last weekend of the trip. Delly was not only a wonderful travel companion, but I was also able to show her modern-day Hamburg and tell her the story of the famous Bornplatz Synagogue, which was ultimately destroyed by the Nazis. We were able to attend a Shabbat service together at the Hohe Weide Synagogue and meet Hamburg's Chief Rabbi Bistritzky.
It is my deepest wish that the work of CSI continues and flourishes, so that anti-Semitism is eradicated and Israel can benefit from the organization's activities.”
Delly Hezel on her encounter with Uri Hirsch:
"I met Uri Hirsch almost exactly a year ago. Uri was born in Hamburg in 1938 and survived the Holocaust. During CSI's anniversary trip to Israel last year, he told us his story at a meeting in Jerusalem. What Uri had to endure as a young boy deeply moved me. What I have experienced with him since then has moved me even more.".
We stayed in touch, and Uri invited me to visit him on my next trip to Israel. I gladly accepted, and of course, it wasn't a one-off meeting. I now know Shira, Penny, and Debbie, three of his daughters, and have even been invited to their home for Shabbat. A wonderful friendship has developed. It's always a miracle to me. I sit at the table with a Jewish family, am treated to all the delicious food that a Shabbat meal brings, and at the end, they thank me for being there. Isn't that a topsy-turvy world? I would completely understand if we Germans weren't welcome in Israel. Six million murdered Jews is simply too monstrous. But I experience the exact opposite, especially with Uri and his family.
And so I felt it was a privilege to accompany him to Hamburg in June. The city where he was born, and where he hadn't been since. Uri's father, David Hirsch, was the last cantor of the Bornplatz Synagogue, which was looted during Kristallnacht. It wasn't burned down only because the Nazis feared destroying Hamburg's entire telephone network in the process. The synagogue was demolished nonetheless.
The Bornplatz Synagogue in Hamburg was once one of the largest in Germany. It was completely destroyed during the Holocaust.
“A sacred moment”
I spent Shabbat with Uri and his daughter Debbie at the Chabad community of Shlomo and Channi Bistritzky. Everyone welcomed me so warmly that the memory of what Uri's family had to endure in Hamburg 85 years ago is even more painful. I will never forget the moment when Uri sang the prayers as cantor in the synagogue on Saturday morning. He sang before the Torah ark, which was draped with a curtain depicting the Bornplatz Synagogue. All the emotions were in Uri's voice. How can one describe such a moment? I am speechless. It was a sacred moment!
Today I want to raise my voice for Uri, knowing: Never again is now! It is not only my duty, but also my deepest wish to be on the right side of history this time.”
You can read the moving life story of Uri Hirsch in this letter to a friend.
Worldwide, there are still approximately 240,000 Holocaust survivors. Many of them live in poverty and loneliness. As Christians standing alongside Israel, these people are especially dear to our hearts, and we want to do good for them while we still can. Therefore, we support Holocaust survivors in Israel and Ukraine with food packages, medicine, sponsorships, and visits to combat loneliness. Here you can support our work for Holocaust survivors.
