Holocaust survivors honored with concert in Elkins Park, Pa.

Beccah Hendrickson Image
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Holocaust survivors honored with concert in Elkins Park, Pa.
Holocaust survivors honored with concert in Elkins Park, Pa.

ELKINS PARK, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Holocaust survivors were recognized in Montgomery County on Wednesday night in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, hosted a concert where youth choirs performed for both the community and survivors, including Sarah Meller.

"I was a happy child there and then the war broke out and Hitler came and occupied all the countries," said 93-year-old Meller, who was 10 when she was forced to flee her home during WWII.

She's one of about 245,000 survivors still living, according to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. She's dedicated her life to sharing her story at places like the museum in Elkins Park.

"We need to remind people and especially young people, teach them not to hate," said Chuck Feldman, president of the center.

While this event honored survivors for one night, the museum is open year-round, and organizers hope more people will come here and learn the history of the Holocaust. It's a history some survivors believe is threatening to repeat itself.

"It's just horrible. It's horrible. I never believed that I would have to relive that again and again," said Meller.

She's speaking of a rise in antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war. She hopes that reminding people of a painful past will teach others to choose peace.

"People should love each other, not hate," she said.