Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America and the child of Holocaust survivors born in a DP camp in Germany, warned that Jew-hatred had been imported from the Middle East via immigration, and asserted that the correct response to the demonization of Israel is “demonizing the demons. We should be demonizing them so it’ll be difficult [to] support them.”
By Dinah Bucholz
(September 9, 2025 / Jewish Exponent) The Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Association kicked off the opening season with a brunch at Tiffany’s Diner in Philadelphia on Sunday, Sept. 7, featuring keynote speaker Rona Kaufman, a law professor at Duquesne University and granddaughter of four Holocaust survivors.
Survivors ranging in age from their late eighties to early one hundreds, as well as two guests who were born in the Bergen-Belsen Displaced Persons Camp, mingled with children and grandchildren of survivors and non-survivor guests who care deeply about the legacy of the Holocaust and the frightening surge of antisemitism in the United States.
Three Generations, Three Perspectives
All the Holocaust survivors who were asked gave the same reason for attendance at these events: to connect with their old survivor friends and see who’s still alive.
“I want to see my old friends,” Paula Spiegler, 101, said. “Not too many of them [are] left.”Barry Polaski, also 101, said he was “very happy here, being here with a lot of friends.” Like Spiegler, he reflected on how few survivors are left. Helena Zwerdlich, who survived under a false Christian identity in Germany, was of a similar mind. She came “to celebrate my friends. … It’s important to get together, see who is here, and we have to thank God for whoever’s left.”
For the next generation, it was more about honoring their parents and carrying the torch in order to fulfill “never again.”
Elaine, a child of survivors, flew in from Israel to attend the brunch. “Children learn by observing,” she said, “and I’m teaching my children that it’s important to respect your mother and father.” She also noted the importance of passing on the memories of her parents’ experiences to her children.
This is in fact the mission of the association, according to Executive Vice President Rita Ratson. “Our organization exists to remember and honor our parents and grandparents and the Holocaust,” she said.
But the third generation, while echoing the sentiments of their parents about passing on the memories, saw this message starkly in the context of rising Jew-hatred globally.
Monique, a grandchild of survivors, stressed the importance of honoring her grandparents’ legacy, but added that “it’s important that we … remind ourselves and each other that … we need to strive to instill a common goal, which is survival. A lot of organizations [are taking the] de facto position … of being the apologetic Jew, and there’s no room for that anymore.”
Indeed, in her address, Kaufman talked about fighting the new Jew-hatred cloaked as anti-Zionism. “Those of us who come from Holocaust survivor families are much more clear about what’s going on today,” she said in an answer to a follow-up question. “We’re much more likely to call anti-Zionism what it is and to recognize the threat against the Jewish people.”
There was some overlap on this between the second and third generations. Following Kaufman’s talk, Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, gave an address in which he warned that Jew-hatred had been imported from the Middle East via immigration. The child of Holocaust survivors born in a DP camp in Germany, he asserted that the correct response to the demonization of Israel is “demonizing the demons. We should be demonizing them so it’ll be difficult [to] support them.”
Actions, Not Words
That’s not to say that most of the second generation didn’t express concern about the current climate.
Jake Sztejman, president of the association, asked last year’s speaker to discuss antisemitism. In addition, Sztejman said that Jewish organizations need to “speak with one voice.” To that end, CJHSA is drafting a letter urging Jewish agencies to unite to face this new threat, “to stand together, stand with us, against antisemitism,” he said.
For Mim Krik, president emerita of CJHSA, it’s important to support the Jewish organizations listed on CJHSA’s website, and she expressed pride in the fact that her father, Isidore Hollander, helped erect the first Holocaust memorial in the United States. But she, too, expressed concern.
“I also feel that the third generation — hopefully they will establish something to carry on what we’ve done and make sure that the world is aware of … what’s happening with all the hatred and antisemitism,” she said.
Sandy Kopyt, corresponding secretary of CJHSA, expressed frustration with the lack of unity among Jewish organizations. She said that educating isn’t enough, and it’s time to act.
“So many here and in Israel were surprised by what happened [by the avalanche of Jew-hatred],” she said. “There’s no plan of action … and the main cause is we are not united.” But she argued that our enemies are. “The Palestinian supporters … are organized. They have one specific goal: first, the Jews; they will eliminate the Jews. And next, it’s Western civilization.” She implied that this was one lesson the Jewish organizations could take from the pro-Palestinian ones and expressed hope that CJHSA’s letter calling for unity would elicit a positive response.
This article was originally published in the Jewish Exponent and can be viewed here.