We are the last generation to care for Holocaust survivors.
Survivors of the Holocaust are now in their 80s, 90s and 100s.
Helen, a 104-year-old Orange County resident, is one of them.
Helen was just 17 when Nazi stormtroopers tore through the Jewish neighborhood in Germany where she and her family lived. As their synagogue and the homes in the community burned, she witnessed unimaginable brutality. The trauma of those moments never left her, and the pain deepened when her parents and older sister were taken away and killed in a concentration camp by the Nazi regime.
With the help of her family’s dentist, she escaped to England before making her way to the U.S., where she was able to build a life in New York and later California. Helen now has four children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
An estimated 8,000 Holocaust survivors live in California, and several hundred like Helen are in Orange County.
On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we join together to remember those whose lives were taken and to honor the survivors who carry their stories forward, ensuring none are ever forgotten.
As we continue to experience an alarming rise in hate, including antisemitism, it is critical to remember this painful chapter in history. It must never be repeated.
As a community, we have the honor of standing with survivors and lifting up their lives, experiences, and voices. Let’s ensure that their remaining days are filled with love, light and dignity instead of hate, fear and pain.
Survivors are confronting urgent and increasingly complex needs shaped by aging and the lasting wounds of their past. We embrace our collective responsibility to ensure they receive compassionate care and support in their final years.
At Jewish Family Service of San Diego, we serve over 500 Holocaust survivors in Orange and San Diego Counties, including Helen, through our Supporting Our Survivors program. In the last three years, the number of recipients we assist has increased by 234.
Many survivors live in poverty with poor physical and mental health, including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. More than half of program participants have an annual income of less than $16,000. They struggle to afford basic needs like food and healthcare. We’ve also seen that they are at substantial risk of isolation, leading to increased risk of dementia and other health issues.
For Helen, JFSSD’s social programs are a lifeline. What began as in-person gatherings grew into a circle of close friends who support one another every day. As she described it, “I have many friends, and we talk about life and how we feel.”
Program participants have access to case management, in-home care, transportation to medical appointments and funds for dental care. Program staff help with translation and annual reparations applications to the Claims Conference.
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This resilient population deserves and needs compassionate, trauma-informed and culturally competent care to live their remaining years in dignity.
Helen and all survivors deserve the chance to keep saying, “Today is the beginning of another good day in my long life.”
Dana Toppel is the CEO of Jewish Family Service of San Diego, which operates the Supporting Our Survivors program for Holocaust survivors in Orange and San Diego Counties. She serves on the California Commission on Aging and resides in San Diego.
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