In more than two years of war in Israel, two regions have suffered the most – the kibbutzim along the Gaza Strip and the villages along the Lebanese border in the north of the country. It is precisely here that CSI staff are working to bring hope – especially to Holocaust survivors.
By Anemone Rüger
“For our aid trip last summer, I had a particular focus on the north,” says Claudia Schall, who has been employed part-time by CSI Germany since the beginning of the year. “The border region was badly affected by the war. That’s how we met Irit, who runs a hotel in Metulla with her mother Miriam.”
“We left immediately on October 8th; we didn’t even wait for the official evacuation order,” Irit recalls of the day after the Hamas massacre in the south, when the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon began attacking northern Israel with rockets. “I had a feeling it would last longer.”
In a five-kilometer radius, more than 60,000 residents had to leave their homes. Two years later, they found every second house severely damaged. Many families still haven't returned, but things are looking up – including for the Beit Shalom Hotel.
New beginnings and a special idea
“The rocket impacts shattered all the windows,” says Irit. “Animals had taken up residence, and the grounds were overgrown. When Claudia and her team arrived in August, we felt like we were in Snow White’s fairy tale. These Christians from Germany worked so hard! They started at seven in the morning, and by the afternoon everything looked beautiful! They helped us get back on our feet. A few weeks later, we were able to welcome our first guests.”
Now the story has taken a moving turn. The family-run hotel has not only weathered dramatic war years; it also tells the story of Irit's grandparents – both Holocaust survivors from Krakow.
“When I saw the room with the documentation, I had the idea of inviting a group of Holocaust survivors here,” said Claudia. Plans were made, flowers were ordered, and Claudia even managed to find a cello to play in the afternoon. Eti, an employee of the Israeli Holocaust Survivors' Authority, brought the elderly guests. Two Russian-speaking survivors from the network of Gita Koifman, a Holocaust survivor friend of CSI, also made the journey.
Klavdia – deported 200 kilometers on foot
“I was ten when the Germans invaded our part of Ukraine,” Klavdia recalls. “Grandpa brought us to his farm in a horse-drawn cart. ‘The Germans are good people,’ he said. That’s why we didn’t leave. After the harvest was in, we were deported. Towards Odessa, 200 kilometers on foot. A quarter of the people didn’t arrive and died along the way.”
Klavdia's mother overheard some prisoners plotting their escape and joined them. "After nightfall, we escaped into the forest. Suddenly, my little brother started crying. He was hungry, and Mom had run out of milk. Then the others threatened to smother my little brother so he wouldn't betray us!" Tears well up in Klavdia's eyes as she recalls this moment.
"Grandpa and Grandma met an acquaintance on the way, who gave them a ride. Their names were Chaim and Menja. We never saw them again. Grandma died along the way. Grandpa walked all the way to Bogdanowka. When they arrived, the men were lined up by a ditch and shot."
Klavdia and her family found refuge in the Romanian-occupied Shabokrych ghetto, but for many, this too became a death trap. Klavdia and her family survived the war, the subsequent years of famine, and Soviet antisemitism. In 1990, she and her family were on board one of the first flights to Israel.
Reunion in Northern Israel
In Kiryat Shmonah, she met Roman, who grew up in Shabokrych when it was still a Jewish shtetl, and who lost almost his entire family in a mass shooting in a single day. These are just two of the life stories heard at the meeting.
Claudia and Livia Tiersch, also new to CSI, make music for the survivors with a small, dedicated team; they convey the message that they are not alone, even on Israel's northern border, and they distribute hugs and flowers. "It did the survivors so much good to get out," says Irit. "To experience this appreciation, to hear the songs. It was a wonderful meeting."
The music also attracted onlookers. "Afterwards, a man approached me," Livia recounts. "He was so moved by our event. His parents survived the Holocaust in Hungary. He was deeply touched to see us perform."
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 144. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
