Alice Herz-Sommer In Memoriam

The world’s oldest Holocaust survivor, Alice Herz-Sommer, died Sunday 2/23/14 at the age of 110 in London. Herz-Sommer was the subject of a documentary “The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life”, nominated for an Oscar this year.

On 3/21/13, I wrote about her and how her attitude is truly an inspiration to us all.  Below is a reprint of what was written then

On our journey, our mountain climb, we must often climb through the darkness in order to get to the light.  No one else has the same journey and while others may help, no one else can get through the darkness for you.  Sometimes we can draw inspiration to prepare and help us by knowing the stories of others.  Alice Herz-Sommer’s story is one of those.  She is the oldest living Holocaust survivor (in the video below she is 109 yrs. old).  Her optimism, like that of so many Holocaust survivors, who lived through such unimaginable darkness and evil is a valuable lesson for us all.  Who better to teach us

“I know about the bad things, but I look to the good things.” – Alice Herz-Sommer

 “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Dr. Viktor Frankl*

 *from his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” about his personal experiences and his observation of others interned with him at Auschwitz.  If you haven’t read this book, do, it is a valuable reminder

Heart and Soul