Elsie Iwase

Holocaust survivor Salomon Rettig

submitted by

Elsie

So my story of hopefulness is a wonderful man Salomon Rettig who is a holocaust survivor born in 1923 in Berlin. At the age of 10, his mother couldn't care for him anymore so he was sent to an orphanage. He escaped the orphanage aged 13 and ended up in Palestine where he lived in a kibbutz for ten years. He eventually was able to make his way to the US where he felt for the first time that he was held and safe in a place where he could thrive. He told me the story of his wife asking him, what you want to do with your life and he had never thought about this question his whole life. She inspired him to go to university as he was really interested in social psychology. Eventually he got his PhD and he shared how that was one of the most joyful moments in his life, to become respected and to see the worth that he could bring into the world. it's a beautiful story of trauma but also human resilience and what's possible when someone is nurtured and loved and cared for.

Education

audio