“you’re the strongest person i know, i love you zaida”
This is me and my Zaida; he is a Holocaust survivor who passed away in 2015.
At just 14 years old, he lost his entire family, including his 11 siblings, parents, grandparents, and everyone he knew. All of them were killed in the Holocaust.
After enduring 4 years of torture and suffering during the Holocaust, he was forced to come to Canada all alone. All of this happened simply because he was Jewish.
Yet he continued to always approach everyone with nothing but kindness. He lived his life to the fullest, always cared for others, and was such an amazing person. He put so much light into the world after it treated him so cruelly.
Every day, I carry his strength with me. He and his story shaped me into who I am today. And because of him, I stand proudly against antisemitism and never stay silent in the face of hate.
I will never stop being proud of him and I will never stop carrying on his story and legacy.
He’s my why.
Rest in peace Zaida, I love you forever and always.
