Holocaust Remembrance Day siren activated by Holocaust survivor and grandson

The Holocaust Remembrance Day siren was activated on Monday by Holocaust survivor Malka Herman and her grandson Captain Maor Herman, an officer in the Home Front Command, the military said on Monday. 

The IDF shared Herman's story on the occasion. She was born in Hrubieszów, Poland, in 1932. In 1939, she fled with her family to the Ukraine, and they were subsequently exiled to a work camp in Siberia. In 1941, the family was released and moved to Uzbekistan, after which Herman, who was nine years old at the time, along with her 11-year-old brother, were transferred to Teheran. From there, they made the difficult journey to Israel via India and the Suez Canal and arrived in the Jewish State in 1943. 

Today, Herman has three children, nine grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. 

'Commemorating memory and heroism'

Herman said on Monday, "At a time when we are witnessing the many threats to the State of Israel and the Jewish people, I was given the privilege to take part in commemorating the memory and heroism of our brothers and sisters who were murdered in the Holocaust.

"Being here, next to my grandson, brings tremendous excitement that reminds me of the road I went through to get here and the pride in the family which I established thanks to and despite everything," she added. 

Her grandson stated, "In my role, both routinely and in an emergency, I have direct responsibility for the safety and security of the citizens of the State of Israel. In recent months, our work has been more challenging than ever. In addition to the responsibility given to me, it is a privilege to activate the siren together with my grandmother on this Remembrance Day, and to honor the memory of my people who perished in the Holocaust and to be part of the next generation."