Hamas and the Holocaust — A Conversation with Two Survivors

This week, host Yael Eckstein comes to us from the Holy Land with two very special guests, both of them Israelis, both of them strong, proud Jewish women, and both of them survivors.

Born in Poland before WWII began, Sarah survived the Holocaust, unlike so many of her loved ones, among the six million Jewish people murdered by the Nazis. And, on October 7^th, this precious 88-year-old woman again survived an attack on God’s people, at her kibbutz home in the Holy Land.

Noa also survived the attacks of October 7^th. A 23-year-old Israeli, she was attending the Nova Festival near the Gaza border with friends, enjoying the beauty and serenity of the Holy Land she calls home. Noa survived that horrific day, unlike many of her friends, and unlike more than 1,200 others.

Listen now to these two incredible survivors’ stories, as we once again are reminded that we must “Never Forget” lessons from history—both distant and more recent—so that such horrors “Never Again” happen in our world.

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Episode Notes:

When Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the terrorists murdered over 1,200 people, injured many more, and took hundreds of hostages back to Gaza, where many still remain.

For 88-year-old Sarah, this was not just a reminder of the horrors of her past, but a revisitation of the violence and hatred she had once experienced, just for being Jewish.

And for 23-year-old Noa—who was attending the Nova Festival when Hamas invaded—the attacks were proof that while the world promises to “Never Forget” the lessons of history, we still must make sure they “Never Again” happen.

This week’s podcast guests are both survivors. Born to a Jewish family in Poland, Sarah survived the Holocaust, unlike most of her family. She then, like so many Holocaust survivors, made a life in Israel—raising a family and finding peace and hope in southern Israel. But that peace was shattered on October 7^th, when Hamas terrorists invaded the area near Sarah’s kibbutz home, not unlike the Nazis who once targeted Europe’s Jews.

Noa, a young Israeli woman, was also enjoying the Holy Land on October 7^th, joining with friends at the Nova Festival near Israel’s border with Gaza. But the serenity and peace Noa and her friends hoped to find in nature were shattered when terrorists attacked, killing hundreds of Israelis, including several of Noa’s friends.

We thank God that both Sarah and Noa survived. And we are thankful to these two survivors for sharing their stories with Yael—as we all vow “Never Again.”

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