Holocaust, October 7 massacre survivor inscribes Torah scroll in ceremony at Polish synagogue

In the venerable "Kupa" synagogue in Krakow, Smil Sacagiu, an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, and his son Mendi participated in a poignant ceremony, marking both remembrance and resilience. This gathering, under the hallowed dome of a synagogue steeped in history, was Smil's first return to a site of Jewish memory since surviving the Holocaust, and his recent ordeal when a missile destroyed his Ashkelon home during the October 7 attacks.

The ceremony saw the Sacagius inscribing a Sefer Torah, a ritual laden with emotion and significance. "Each letter we inscribed was a testament not just to survival, but to the unbreakable spirit of those who have endured," Mendi shared. This event was not just a commemoration but a reaffirmation of life itself.

Mendi, torn between protecting his own family and his aging father, found himself in a harrowing position on October 7. As sirens wailed and chaos ensued, he faced a critical decision: ensure his father's safety or join the local protection force to defend his community. "The choice was agonizing; to protect the legacy my father carried, or to protect the future he fought for," Mendi reflected. Ultimately, he chose to secure his father, embodying the promise of 'Never Again' that he and his father both hold sacred.

Holocaust, Oct. 7 survivors on March of the Living

As dawn breaks on the solemn grounds of Auschwitz tomorrow, a poignant procession will commence. Fifty-five Holocaust survivors, living testaments to resilience and courage, will gather from all corners of the globe. Among them are those who bore witness to the horrors of October 7, their spirits undimmed by the passage of time. With unwavering determination, they will march in solidarity, their voices raised in a renewed cry of 'Never Again.' This March of the Living transcends borders and generations, weaving a tapestry of hope from the threads of remembrance.

Haim Taieb, President of the Hostage Forum, who is accompanying the families whose loved ones are still hostages in Gaza, addressed the gathering earlier this evening. He emphasized the connection between historical tragedies and current challenges. "The promise of never again, was broken on October 7," he stated, highlighting the recent violence faced by the community. "We have Holocaust survivors here whose grandchildren are hostages in hell," he added, underscoring the ongoing threats to Jewish people.

"The Jewish spirit is at the heart of the march tomorrow," Taieb declared, rallying the community. "We are all links in the chain of the generation of Jewish people, I and my future generations are committed to fight antisemitism and make Judaism stronger than ever, am Yisrael hai."

The Sacagiu family's legacy, etched in both the pages of a sacred scroll and the annals of their personal history, continues to inspire those who hear their story, urging a world too often beset by violence to remember and, crucially, to act.