COOPER CITY, Fla. – Dozens of Holocaust survivors were honored in Cooper City as they reached a very special milestone in their lives: turning 100 years old.
Jewish Family Services of Broward County hosted Wednesday’s event, recognizing their stories of survival, but also stirring up painful memories from the past.
However, Wednesday’s focus was on perseverance.
“Well, I was a child, so I was hidden with a Christian family. That’s how I survived,” survivor Renee Rogers said. “I was born in ’41 in Poland, which is where the war pretty much started, and my whole family, except for an aunt, were killed. And my aunt, who I thought was my mother, went and found me and raised me. And I didn’t know I was adopted until my parents passed away and then I found out my aunt was my aunt, not my biological mother.”
The painful memories and heartache were amplified by recent attacks against members of the Jewish community in Colorado and Washington, D.C.
Many had a distinct message about the violence and sent a message of resilience and hope for the future.