On Tuesday night, April 23, Ephraim Berger hosted a virtual Yom HaShoah commemoration for the Queens community, featuring a preview of his late father’s memoir, Sh’al Avicha: A Holocaust Memoir by Dov Berger z”l. The program, dedicated to Dov Berger’s memory, saw participation from most shuls in Kew Gardens Hills.
Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff, Rav of Agudath Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, reflected on a profound question: How could Holocaust survivors endure unimaginable horrors and still rebuild their lives, contributing remarkably to klal Yisrael? Despite surviving inhumane conditions, they forged a vibrant Torah future for generations.
Rabbi Sokoloff cited the famous story of the Satmar Rebbe, who advised someone seeking a brachah to find a survivor wearing t’filin, with a number on his arm – a testament to his enduring faith. He also drew from this week’s parshah, noting Aharon’s silence after losing his sons. The Klausenberger Rebbe, who lost his wife and 11 children in the Holocaust, taught that the Hebrew word for blood shares a root with silence. Survivors accepted Hashem’s will with quiet resilience, rebuilding despite profound pain. “We must learn from these great Jews,” Rabbi Sokoloff urged. “They never gave up, living through suffering with acceptance. We have a responsibility to remember what Amalek – modern-day Amalek – did to us.”
Ephraim Berger then shared his personal reflections. Growing up in Borough Park, he noted that most peers lacked grandparents, lost to the Holocaust. His parents, Dov z”l and his mother, rarely spoke of their experiences initially, but later shared their stories in schools and camps. In the 1980s, the Young Israel of Queens Valley hosted an annual Yom HaShoah seudah sh’lishis, featuring survivors’ testimonies. In 1986, Dov Berger began writing his memoir, Sh’al Avicha, brought to completion by his daughter, Tova Wechsler, and set for release soon.
Mr. Berger read excerpts from the memoir, recounting the atrocities and horrors endured by his parents and countless Yidden. “Hearing these stories is painful,” he acknowledged, “but we must never forget.” He shared that his father attributed his survival to a brachah from the Biksader Rebbe before the war, a blessing that sustained him.
Reflecting on how survivors rebuilt, Mr. Berger emphasized his father’s unwavering faith. “My father z”l, a baal emunah, believed that Hashem guided him every step,” he said. “His survival was a miracle, and he saw it as his duty to follow Hashem’s path, raising a beautiful Jewish family with my mother zg”z.”
By Susie Garber
