Prof. Yitshak Kreiss at Majdanek Concentration Camp
We came here to say to those who were murdered here, you did not perish or sacrifice yourself in vain
TEL AVIV, Israel (PRWEB) May 31, 2018
Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, the largest and most comprehensive hospital in the Middle East, sent a multicultural delegation of staff members to Poland this week as a way to commemorate the 70th anniversary of both Sheba and the State of Israel.
For the first time in Sheba Medical Center history, nearly 200 employees of the medical center are traveling across the country, visiting concentration camps and other historical monuments to gain an even deeper understanding of the horrible events that transpired during World War II.
After gut-wrenching encounters with a mass grave, where hundreds of Jews were murdered by the Nazis, as well as a visit to the Treblinka concentration camp, several members of the group wrote an emotional note to their friends and family in Israel. "Each of us have now experienced the spine-tingling horrors of the Holocaust and the evil of the Nazi regime in our own ways during the course of this trip. It is something we can never forget," they wrote.
The 5-day all expenses paid, educational mission is being spearheaded by Sheba’s Director General Yitshak Kreiss, who himself is the son of a Holocaust survivor, and Avi Baruch, Sheba's Dep. Director for Organizational Management and Human Resources. Amongst the participants of the mission is a French Holocaust survivor, who currently volunteers in the hospital's bustling Emergency Room.
Sheba has played a vital role in the on-going care of hundreds of Holocaust survivors through a special program dedicated to meeting their unique emotional and physical needs during the course of their stay at the facility. This includes helping with bathing and eating, as well as providing companionship to the Holocaust survivors during appointments and every-day tasks.
"We came here to say to those who were murdered here, you did not perish or sacrifice yourself in vain,” said Director of Sheba Medical Center Prof. Yitshak Kreiss. “We are here to remember all of you, the heart of Polish Jewry, the citizens, the professionals, the doctors and all of the renowned rabbis who were the spiritual soul of the Polish Jews. Here one can see how human beings can turn overnight into vicious animals, which serves as a warning until today.”
"The trip underscores the fact that nothing in life is guaranteed. A person who doesn't know or understand his history, makes it difficult for them to understand the present reality or what will be in the future," added Avi Baruch. “It is important for our staff to learn the history of the Jewish People. Learning about everything people went through and passing along this knowledge from generation to generation is what’s going to keep it from happening again.”
About Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer
Born together with Israel in 1948, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer is the largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East. Sheba is the only medical center in Israel that combines an acute care hospital and a rehabilitation hospital on one campus, and it is at the forefront of medical treatments, patient care, research and education. As a university teaching hospital affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University, it welcomes people from all over the world indiscriminately. To learn more, visit: eng.sheba.co.il.
