CINCINNATI — In light of this past year's record-breaking spike in antisemitic incidents, some of Cincinnati's last Holocaust survivors gathered Friday to read an open letter to the next generation of Jewish people.
"We, a group of Holocaust survivors ... write to you today with heavy hearts but unwavering spirits," the letter reads. "We have seen the darkest depths of hatred and persecution, and we know all too well the pain that antisemitism causes."
"We have rebuilt our lives, our families and our communities from the ashes of despair," said Zahava Rendler, a Holocaust survivor from Poland. "Just accept everyone for who they are."
Rendler said her family hid in an underground bunker.
"My story is not an easy one to tell," she said. "I was nine months old when the Germans came to our town."
She said she doesn't want her past to be her grandchildren's future.
"It is important to remain strong in our identity," she said.
A group of more than a dozen University of Cincinnati Hillel students braved inclement weather Friday to hear Rendler's and countless others' stories.
"What I wish I could tell every single person whoever said an antisemitic thing — learn what you're talking about and learn that there are actual people that are being hurt by what you're doing," said Taly Landis, a Jewish student at UC.
Landis said she has several late family members who survived the Holocaust.
"My whole life, I've been surrounded by the knowledge that knowing my own history is so important," she said. "Everyone needs to know about the Holocaust, but specifically — young Jewish people — it's important for us to know what happened not that long ago."
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) recorded nearly 9,000 antisemitic incidents across the U.S. in 2023 — the highest figure ever reported since the ADL first began tracking in 1979.
"People need to find sense through community," said Simon Tishkoff, a Jewish first-year student at UC.
Experts have attributed much of the spike to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
In fact, of the nearly 9,000 recorded incidents, the ADL reports about 5,200 took place in the aftermath of Oct. 7, when the latest eruption of conflict began in Israel.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also reported more than 8,000 anti-Muslim incidents in 2023 — a 56% increase from 2022.
It reports about 3,600 of those incidents took place following Oct. 7.
"Silence is not an option," Rendler said. "It is the unique responsibility of each of you to spread the message of truth and peace."
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article erroneously spelled Taly Landis' name.
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