A centenarian survivor of the Holocaust, Joseph Alexander, shared his harrowing account of survival and resolve during a historic speech at Arizona State University yesterday. ASU students and community members packed the auditorium to hear the 101-year-old recount his devastating experiences in over a dozen Nazi concentration camps, including the infamous Auschwitz, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Alexander marked his time in Auschwitz, a place where he narrowly avoided death at the hands of the notorious Dr. Mengele. "If I would have listened to him and gone to the left, I would not be here talking to you," Alexander said during the event, "To me, it was as if I was reborn again," according to a FOX 10 Phoenix interview. Tattooed on his arm is the number 142854—a stark, enduring symbol that once replaced his name.
'Educate to Prevent' seems to be Alexander's mantra, who insists on the importance of sharing his story to ensure such atrocities are never repeated. "It's our job to let them know what happened. Why? So that it doesn’t happen again," Alexander told the crowd, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Rabbi Shmuel Tiechtel, executive director of Chabad at ASU's Jewish Student Center, emphasized the educational significance, connecting "the past, the present and the future."
The event's legacy, however, extends beyond education. In a display of humanity and compassion, Alexander imparted a message of kindness to younger generations, "Doesn’t matter if you’re Jewish or not Jewish to anybody, just be a nice human being," he said, a sentiment reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. And while Alexander claims there's no secret to his longevity, he expressed a desire to use his time for advocacy and peace. Students were granted free admission to the event, ensuring unfettered access to this piece of living history, as stated on the Chabad at ASU website.
