Dori Ekstein poses with her father, a Holocaust survivor who was imprisoned at Auschwitz concentration camp, before he passed away in December, 2016.
Holocaust Education Event Focuses on Survivor Experiences
Circle of Care is one of the ten largest recipients world-wide to receive home care funding from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany in support of Holocaust survivors.
On April 24, Circle of Care employees connected with children of Holocaust survivors to better understand the unique challenges and circumstances faced by survivors and their families. The education event was held in recognition of Yom HaShoah – Israel’s day of commemoration for the approximately six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust.
During the session, guests including Dori Ekstein (pictured at left with her father) shared details of their parents’ experiences during the war as a way of providing context for the emotional trauma and physical limitations that persist among many of Circle of Care’s 1,400 Holocaust clients. Whether forced into hiding from Nazi captors, sent to meet their fate at notorious concentration camps, or separated from their families and evacuated to safety with other children – every survivor came away from the war with a distinct experience that continues to impact their personal relationships, coping abilities and related health conditions, particularly as they age.
“It’s an honour to be able to provide care and support for our aging survivor clients,” says Carey Lucki, CEO of Circle of Care and VP, Sinai Health System. “Taking time to hear these courageous stories, and respecting the memories that live on, will allow us to continue to meet the needs of our Holocaust clients with the dignity they deserve.”
