Yisrael Abelesz shared his chilling Auschwitz story with MPs, marking Holocaust Memorial Day and honoring the lives lost during this dark chapter in history
London: Survivor Yisrael Abelesz moved everyone at a Parliamentary event as he recounted his experience in Auschwitz. It was a special gathering ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day.
This day is all about remembering the six million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust. It also marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, a place of unimaginable horror.
Yisrael, now 96, shared how he was just a teenager when he arrived at the camp. He vividly recalled meeting Dr. Josef Mengele, the infamous SS commander, who decided his fate with a simple question about his age.
He remembered saying, “I’m 14, it was just my birthday.” Mengele’s response seemed innocent at the time, but it meant Yisrael would live a little longer, while his family was sent to their doom.
Sadly, he never saw his parents or younger brother again. The numbers tattooed on his arm are a haunting reminder of the horrors he faced.
During the event, Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle led the ceremony, and you could see how deeply affected the MPs were by Yisrael’s story. Auschwitz was a key part of the Nazis’ horrific plan to exterminate the Jews.
Over 1.1 million people suffered there, including Jews, Roma, and political prisoners. The camp was liberated on January 27, 1945, but the scars of that time remain.
Holocaust Memorial Day is a time to reflect on this dark history and also to remember other victims of genocide around the world. It’s been observed in the UK since 2001, serving as a powerful reminder of the past.
