letter from a survivor

this letter was forwarded to me, with a note to please pass it on:

Dear Rabbi Eisenman,

Thank you for planning the event in your Shul this Motzei Shabbos.

You know me, meaning, you see me in shul and at your shiurim, however, I have never told you who I really am.

I am a survivor.

It began when I was twelve and continued until I was fourteen.

My parents still do not know.

You see me and you see me smile, however, the pain is never forgotten, the pain is always there.

However, I have survived and I thank Hashem for allowing me to survive.

I am enclosing something I wrote for the event you are hosting on Motzei Shabbos.

I know you have and will get ‘flack’ for being so open about this topic.

I know you will get ‘flack’ for allowing survivors to speak irrespective of the fact that they may not be politically correct.

However, you should just know that I and hundreds of other survivors are with you.

I am enclosing something I wrote which describes me and my fellow survivors.

If you want you can send out to the Shul, -please do not use my name.



THE SURVIVOR

No one wants to be a loser.

No one wants to be defeated.

We all want to continue living and to still ‘be in the running’.

No one wants to be eliminated.

The Jewish people are survivors.

In every generation there are those who attempt to destroy us.

However, Hashem saves us from their evil hands.

We live in the United States of America.

There is no one here who is attempting to annihilate us.

There is no one here who is attempting to stop us.

However, even if from ‘without’ there is no one who is standing upon us to destroy us; there are people who are ‘within’ us who are hurting us.

There are people who maybe in our homes and in our schools;

In our Mikvaos and in our sleeping quarters -who are attempting to hurt us.

The crime they inflicted on me was inflicted in the private; however, the pain must be known to the public.

They prey on the unprotected and they look for the most precious of our possessions, our children.

Sometimes these people are related to us and they sometimes can be people we are taught to trust and respect.

When I was hurt, others are so shocked they assumed I was lying, that ‘it can’t be’.

However, trust me, it happened.

Trust me, the pain never goes away.

We just ask that you see us and recognize us for what we are- Jews.

Jews who have behaved like Jews have behaved for the last two thousand years; we survived; and we will continue to survive.

Hear our voices, feel our pain- that is all we ask.

Name withheld upon request.