On April 14, 80 years to the day after her liberation from the Salzwedel Concentration Camp, Esther Basch—a Holocaust survivor known as the 'Honey Girl of Auschwitz'—passed away at age 96. Basch, who spent the latter part of her life in Arizona, was laid to rest last week at Phoenix Memorial Park, as reported by 12 News. Her narrative, filled with firsthand experiences of the Holocaust, resonated with many, and she dedicated much of her time to teaching younger generations about this grim history to promote messages of peace.
Basch's death coincides with remarks made by Marian Turski, another Auschwitz survivor, who, during an International Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony, emphasized that 80 years after Auschwitz's liberation, we are still confronted with "precisely the same antisemitism that led to the Holocaust." Turski warned that hate speech, when allowed to escalate unchecked, invariably "always ends in bloodshed," as per The Times of Israel. This sentiment underlines the persistent need for remembrance and education in the face of hatred and bigotry.
Basch's own stories, which she shared to educate and inspire, will continue posthumously. Later this year, she is expected to be featured in an "Interactive Interview" as part of the USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony initiative. Anthony Fusco, education director of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society, told 12 News, "Esther wasn’t just a survivor, she was a light in this community. Her story touched thousands, and now, through this interactive exhibit, it will continue to reach people long after we're gone." This technology will ensure her voice and experiences can still enlighten future audiences.
The passing of survivors like Basch and the disquieting words of Turski coincide with a diminishing number of individuals who can offer personal accounts of the Holocaust. As Tova Friedman, another survivor, told The Times of Israel, there is an obligation "not only to remember, but also to teach that hatred only begets more hatred, killing more killing." Friedman expressed concerns about the memory of the Holocaust becoming cheapened once survivors are no longer able to share their stories directly. As survivors partner in sharing their experiences, like Friedman and Michael Bornstein in New York, the urgent need is to carry forward the legacy left by those, like Basch, who have now passed away.
