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Philip Riteman is a Holocaust survivor now living in Nova
Scotia. (CBC)
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The annual Holocaust Memorial Service will take place Sunday night in
St. John's, with guest speaker and Holocaust survivor Philip Riteman.
Riteman was 15 when he and his family were taken by the Nazis from
their home in Poland to Auschwitz.
He was the sole survivor of his family, as both of Riteman's parents
and all seven of his siblings died while they were in concentration camps.
After liberation, Riteman was contacted by his mother's sister who
lived in Newfoundland. Although Canada was not allowing Jewish immigration at
that time, Newfoundland was not yet part of Canada and Riteman was allowed to
enter.
He arrived in 1946, learned English and started selling clothing door
to door. Riteman has been awarded honorary doctorates by Memorial and St.
Thomas Universities and has received the Order of Nova Scotia.
Riteman authored the book Millions of Souls: The Philip Riteman Story,
and has spoken about his experience to audiences across Newfoundland and
Labrador, as well as across North America.
Sunday's event is open to the public, and starts at 7:30 p.m. at the
Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland.
Some of our Jewish friends don’t
like to have the mass slaughter of the Unborn mentioned in the same breath
as the Jewish holocaust, as though in some way it might lessen the horror and
reality of events like Auschwitz. However, not doing so would actually be an
injustice to the reality of all other holocausts and genocides perpetrated by
mankind.
When we honour the memory and suffering of men like Philip
Riteman—as well as all Jewish victims of that atrocity—it ought to be an occasion
to remind ourselves to
be on guard against all similar evils perpetrated on our fellow man. Otherwise the
next holocaust is just
around the corner, once again conveniently ignored by society, and the target
could be you or me.
Except that today it is already here and the screams of the victims
are silent.
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