Last night (Monday), Deputy Minister Uri Maklev participated in a festive and moving meeting with hundreds of Holocaust survivors living in Jerusalem ahead of Passover.
The Deputy Minister distributed a special Passover kit to the survivors, a gift from the Holocaust Survivors Authority and the eminent Rabbi Yitzhak David Grossman, president of the Migdal Or institutions and member of the Chief Rabbinate Council - which included matzah, wine, a Passover Haggadah and information materials for the realization of the survivors' rights.
During the ceremony held at the Friends of Israel Museum, one of the survivors stood up, representing the participants, and said with excitement: "Deputy Minister Maklev is not only pleasant, but he is the right person in the right place. He is the figure who promotes our needs for us."
At the end of the meeting, the Deputy Minister distributed matzah and wine to all participants, and delivered an emotional speech: “The Passover Haggadah says: ‘In every generation, a person must see himself as if he had come out of Egypt’ – and you, dear survivors, have truly come out of hell into life. You are the living symbol of the victory of the Jewish spirit. Every child and grandchild of yours – is your victory over the oppressor. You are a source of inspiration – and the renewal you have built from the ashes is the great miracle of our generation.”
Maklev addressed the situation in Israel: "The people of Israel are still facing difficult challenges since the terrorist attack of October 7, and you, who have gone through the greatest inferno in history, are a source of inspiration and encouragement for us in these difficult moments. The strength and resilience you have demonstrated throughout your lives remind us that even in the most difficult moments of crisis, there is hope and continuity. Every holiday we celebrate with you is living proof that the people of Israel are alive!"
The Deputy Minister wished the survivors good health and longevity, and expressed hope for the return of the kidnapped and the recovery of the injured. “When we maintain unity, we can overcome even the most difficult crises.”
Earlier this week, the deputy minister participated in a ceremony at the Holocaust Survivors Authority with dozens of Authority employees in Tel Aviv, where he addressed recent attempts to change tradition, whether by opening shopping centers on Shabbat or by persecuting the Torah scholars, and said that a people that does not know how to preserve its future will have no future.
“We left Egypt without an identity, and through miracles and wonders we became a special people. Even after the Holocaust – we grew anew. A people that has a past – has a future. The service provided here to the survivors is one of the most comprehensive and professional, and it is important to cherish this work and continue it” - and added: “Unity is a condition for our continued existence – then and today.”
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