Illinois Holocaust survivors write letter to share powerful message

SKOKIE, Ill. (WLS) -- As the conflict in Israel and Gaza continues, a group of local Holocaust survivors has written a letter, sharing a message about the importance of building a better world.

Many Holocaust survivors got together and through the Illinois Holocaust Museum, put their thoughts on paper and on video with a powerful message to the world.

The video says, "Over 80 years ago our lives changed irrevocably. As Jewish children in Europe during the Holocaust, we experienced the destruction of our families, traditions and communities."

"When they saw the attacks on Israeli on October 7, obviously it was so traumatizing, and re-traumatizing for so may of them, they've said over and over again that in a moment of crisis, that's not the time to retreat, it's the time to lean in," Bernard Cherkasov, CEO of the Illinois Holocaust Museum, said.

"There is no justification for Hamas's terror...The plight of civilians trapped in a war zone is one that we also know all too well," the video says.

"My mother was everything to me," Holocaust survivor Marion Deichmann She walked out the door, and then she wrote those letters from Drancy and she said, 'Be good, I'll be back.' She went into one of the railroad cars, we have one here in the museum, she was never tattooed, she went immediately to the gas chamber. So my mission in life is to tell the whole world what happened then. It's not the same, not six million Jews, but enough were killed again by terrorists, you could say the Nazis were also terrorists."

"Jewish places of gathering and worship are being defaced with swastikas, as Jews around the world are being told that 'Hitler should have eradicated all of you,'" the video said.

"When we see antisemitism on the rise, when we see other forms of hate on the rise and the survivors have something very powerful to tell the world about how important it is not to give in right now to our fears, to our anger," Cherkasov said.

"The letter can be helpful because there are the innocents," Deichmann said. "I don't want the innocents to die in there, of course not. I want to extract, if you wish, Hamas from the rest of the Palestinians. There were there too, and I don't think that should be forgotten."

"At this moment of grave crisis, we must come together to affirm each other's humanity," the video said. "Never again, means that we must never give up...And we implore you not to give up either. Step out from your corner. Extend your hand in empathy and peace."

Deichmann not only wrote a book, paying tribute to her mother, but just this summer, she made a short film, Letters from Drancy, retelling her experience and paying tribute to her mother, Alice. That film can be seen at the Illinois Holocaust Museum as part of its VR experience