EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The last holocaust survivor in El Paso, Tibor Schaechner was just fifteen when he started.
Tibor is now ninety-four years old and lives to tell his story. He says he was in Budapest at that time traveling just outside of Budapest daily and digging ditches with what he said was a busy job.
He says his group had 180 boys and a truck was sent out every day to pick them up. “One morning I overslept and took the city bus, approaching the city limits, Budapest city limits, the driver calls me at the front and says young man you take off your star, yellow star and get off the bus… he saved my life because 179 boys were taken off the truck, and all sent to Auschwitz, and no one came back.
He remembers a young boy who sang solos in synagogues.
“I can still hear his voice, he hasn’t come back either.”
Jamie Flores, the museum’s executive director, says they want to connect the events that happened during the Holocaust to the world today.
“We are witnessing a staggering increase in anti-Semitism, white supremacy, hate crimes and hate speech against communities in our country and truly around the world, there has never been a more relevant time to learn about the history of the Holocaust and how it relates to what is happening today in the lives, experiences and stores of individuals.”
Additionally, the museum has an exhibit dedicated to today’s history, such as Black Lives Matter and the tragedy of George Floyd. This is to help link the Holocaust to showing hatred in the world.
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