On November 8, 2009, the Sunday before Veteran's Day, the B'nai Moshe Men’s Club held a special Shaharit service followed by a brunch.

Approximately 100 veterans, their families, other members of B’nai Moshe and visitors were present for morning services followed by the brunch. Attendees included veterans from the World War II, Korean, Cold War, and Viet Nam eras, as well as veterans from other countries, including Israel, Canada, and Czechoslovakia. Also in attendance were the veteran’s families, spouses of deceased veterans, and supporters.

Jonathan Tobes served as chair of this annual event.

After brunch, three Holocaust survivors who are members of B’nai Moshe told their stories of how they felt as they survived the holocaust and how they feel today.

Agata Rubin thanked the veterans, some of whom were liberators of the death camps. She was a zone commander in the Birkenau Concentration camp and talked about the death march from Auschwitz to her liberation. She talked about reestablishing herself in a new country.

Erno Friedman considered that he was lucky to be alive today. During the war, because he didn’t look Jewish and had papers, he didn’t have to go into the camps. He went anyway because he wouldn’t abandon his parents. He was caught twice trying to escape from Auschwitz, hid under dead bodies and one time was about to be shot when a German general intervened because he was fit and was needed to work. One time his foot was frozen and his toe was cut off by the Germans and yet he was able to play soccer in Sweden after the war.

Erno

Sally Horwitz was happy to see the soldiers, some of whom liberated the camps and the other people who survived and were present. She summed up her feelings with the three Hebrew words Am Yisrael Chai.

Sally

The pictures below were also taken during the service and at the brunch.

Click Veteran's Day to see photos taken at last years Veteran's Day service and brunch.

Click original photos to see photos of our veterans when they were in the service.