Daniel Szafran rolled up his left sleeve to reveal a number tattooed on his arm. He said that he was no longer a person. He was a number.
Szafran survived the Holocaust after spending time in Auschwitz, one of the most brutal and infamous concentration camps of World War II. He now travels across the country telling his story in high schools, colleges and synagogues.
"I want them to know, not just believe what other people are saying. They will hear it from a man that was there," Szafran said.
He spoke at Syracuse University's Winnick Hillel Center for Jewish Life on Friday to share his experiences in the concentration camp with students.
Szafran told his story of how sharp wit and savvy street skills helped him outmaneuver the Nazis in multiple situations. Szafran befriended a guard at Auschwitz, who allowed him to take salami back into the camp with him. The guard said he would turn his back so Szafran could sneak in with the stolen goods.
Simona Szafran, Daniel's wife, accompanied her husband to the speech for moral support. Simona sat, tissue in hand, through the entire speech. She, too, was alive for the war.
"Everything I remember from the Holocaust is through the eyes of a young child. I was less than five years old when the war started," Simona said.
From a family of nine, Daniel and his brother Nathan are the only two that survived the concentration camp. His brother currently lives in Las Vegas, where Szafran also lives, in order to stay close to his only living relative.
"Daniel Szafran's story was so moving. I was inspired by his courage and optimism," said Tracey Olesh, a sophomore communication sciences and disorders major at SU.
He recalled how the Nazis separated him from his family as soon as he arrived at Auschwitz. They forced him to stand without clothing among other men of the same age. The Nazis then made them walk for miles. Those who could not keep up were shot.
"At this point there aren't that many Holocaust survivors left," said Shelby Baskin, the engagement associate for Hillel. "When we have this opportunity we just have to take it. It's important to hear these stories firsthand."
Szafran's story was briefly interrupted for a Sept. 11 remembrance and Shabbat candle lighting. At sundown, students gathered in the front of the room with Szafran to honor those lost on that September day.
"This is when a lot of programs happen where you reflect and think about things from the past," Baskin said. She added that it was a coincidence the Sept. 11 memorial occurred on the same day as Szafran's visit.
Szafran firmly stressed that young people should prevent history from repeating itself.
"Young people should know, should defend themselves - not just go like sheep. Any time they try to destroy us we should be upfront, to resist, not wait until they come to our house. We should go to their house," Szafran said.
Baskin said she thinks the lessons of Szafran's harrowing journey translated to the captivated audience.
"It's important to hear his story, because it's a story of survival and a story of history," Baskin said. "A big part of learning about the past is understanding how things happen and why they do, in order to prevent them from happening again."
jrspivac@syr.edu
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