Mr. Walter Kase, now 80 years old, shared with a full house the details of his life in a ghetto and then in multiple concentration camps. He lost his young sister, then 6 years old, in front of his eyes, and suffered all kinds of humiliation and hardships for 5 years before his liberation at the age of 15, weighing 65 pounds.
What struck me the most was not the details of the hardships (however difficult it was just to hear about them), but how calm he was, and how much he talked about faith, hope and love. He admitted that he lost faith at one point, as he saw the inhuman treatment he and others suffered day in and day out. He discussed hope, the hope of leaving the state of agony. However, most of all, he talked about love, in particular his love for his parents and sister. Many times he talked about his family lovingly, and many times his tears rolled down his eyes, leaving the audience deeply moved.
He had no anger, no hatred, despite the hurt he had suffered physically, emotionally and spiritually. He had long forgiven the offenders.
Afterwards, I had the honor to speak with him, shake his hands and give him a hug. He gave me a kiss on the cheek in return.
My colleagues in my office had been celebrating my belated birthday this week (lunch yesterday and cake today). As we celebrated life, it was my privilege to hear a Holocaust Survivor, after suffering so much in his life and seeing so many needless deaths, give this message of faith, hope and love.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
- 1 Corinthians 13: 13
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