Guest Speaker at the 21st Annual Tribute Dinner
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- Опубліковано 21 лис 2013
- Dr. Bernd Wollschlaeger, author of the book "A German Life: Against All Odds Change is Possible" describes his struggle growing up in Germany in the shadow of his Father, a highly-decorated WWII tank commander and Nazi officer. He eventually converted to Judaism, emigrated to Israel and served in the Israel Defense Forces as a Medical Officer. Dr. Wollschlarger was the Guest Speaker at our 21st Annual Tribute Dinner, held on November 19, 2013 at the Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation.
without doubt this is a man in a million. An incredible, brave, honest, thinking man. I take my hat off to him.
I am astounded by his courage and honesty. Just amazing !
thank you for your story the entire world should hear hear.
Not only did Dr. Wollschlaeger give us his background on the Holocaust but a much needed explanation of what we as people can do to stop hatred (in all forms) and live in a peaceful world. Hatred not only in the name of religion. Tolerance and a live and let live world would be a wonderful thing. Thank you, Dr. Wollschlaeger. I hope your words embrace the minds and hearts of those who need your wisdom.
What an amazing story, and what a wonderful speaker.
i would just like to say firstly to Dr Wollsclaeger, how proud i am of him, not only as a fellow Jew; but as a fellow travellor. he is a very unique man. imagine what it took for him to do the impossible: he asked questions!!! plus, he had the intelligence and courage, to know he was getting only a part of the truth, and to keep questioning until he got it all. G-d bless him, and his family. the work he does now, to me, is invaluable. thank you Dr.
What an amazing story & should be shared by people of all walks of life.
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing your incredable life journey. Your son is blessed to have you as his father. You are a wonderful example of what all people should live by. You are definitely spreading "Tikkun Olam" (repairing the world) by sharing your story.
I'm the daughter of a holocaust survivor, which has been quite challenging on many levels. I think it would be great if there was more coverage on what children of nazis have experienced in their lives.
You give all humanity hope for a better world!
I think it's wonderful that Dr. Wollschlaeger shares his story, that he has stepped out of the shadow of the past.
I believe that Dr. Wollschlaeger is doing us all a service by sharing his story with us. And his call for an end to blind hatred is certainly a noble one indeed. However, just talking about it, or even educating each other, may not be enough. In this world, where hate has become a convenient tool for consolidating political control, something more is needed than just talk.
That's why I believe in building models that prove, once and for all, that peace is possible. I believe in building a model that speaks louder than words, a self-evident reality that demonstrates, in real time, that we can actually work in common purpose to make this a better world, and to improve our lives in the process.
As an example, I am trying to convince Arab investors to build a Green Industrial Zone in a place like Gaza, although the final location is yet to be determined. This will be a model that inspires a sense of hope and that delivers on that promise with jobs. We envision having thousands of Jews, Christians and Muslims showing up to work on a daily basis, and using state-of-the-art research and technology to address issues endemic to the region, such as: clean water, food production, health care and green energy.
Our Green Industrial Zone will also include: 100 companies producing green goods which can change the world, a vocational school to teach skills, a program to finance female entrepreneurs, a green tech incubator to launch new businesses, new housing for our employees, and an artists colony to help inculcate a culture of tolerance.
In short, it's time to build something real, something that you can see and touch, something that can be replicated in a bid to stabilize the region, and to reclaim a sense of dignity for the people there.
This testimony touched me very strong - thanks a lot Dr. Bernd Wollschläger for this great story about your life. I'll going on with your book when I go back from my journey in Israel to Germany!
I wish we could all act like this brave personality.
what an extraordinary person -- by not accepting his fathers words and researching on his own-- to delve deeper into the past and against all odds becoming an Israeli citizen --- a remarkable story to have and to share. I hope he continues to share his story with so many more---
Brilliant and righteous. Bless him.
For those who don't learn history & from it, are bound to repeat history. (An old proverb).
Thank you Sir for your truly remarkable story.
what a mensh, shame there are not many more like him in this world
Thank you for your bravery in standing against prejudice despite tremendous pressure to do otherwise!
As a Physician he needed and knew how to "heel thyself". The "Redeemer's Spirit"
A very courageous speech, from the son of a German Wehrmacht Officer, who converted to Judaism.
What a courageous man!!!!! I really admire his heart, intellect and courage to be a spokesperson.
This is the most well-spoken and beautiful life story I have ever heard
Thank you, Dr. Wollschlaeger, for your honesty, courage and openness to seek and live the truth, despite it's ugliness and despite the people and loved ones in your life "The Truth" implicated.
A most impressive personality and speech. The best I've heard I years!
Your insight , honesty and self fulfillment is a wondrous gift. We salute you.
How proud of this guy, to learn how to learn, not just from the home team, but from the whole team. I have always had a deep respect for secular
This is an awesome insight.
How brave and special a man Dr. Wollschlaeger is.
What an amazing story of truth.
Every school should have to show this to all its students-too many have no knowledge of what happened or even care what happened.
This is a story that needs to be told and Dr Wollschlaeger should be praised for having the guts to do what he did.
I can't wait to read his book.
This is an amazing video ... a great speaker .. there are so many videos and speakers on this topic. This guy is a MUST see .. wonderful man !
Absolutely compelling and a little more understanding of the German mind that could perpetrate the atrocities that promoted, sanctioned, and carried out. A wonderful and unusual person.
Bravo Dr.Wollschlaeger, you are a brave, compassionate man. I was very moved by your speech and it has in some small way changed my general view of germans of your background. i.e. what did your father do in the war? question. You have been honest and open about this a credit to you and your beliefs.
He is a very compelling speaker and his story quite unique. Kudos for him!
Why have there been so few hits to watch this video? It is very important that this video has a large circulation over the world as a digital means of letting the world in general understand how hatred is embraced and then conquered.
Congratulations!!!... Brilliant!!!
This special man should be an example to us all...as John Lennon said, Imagine..."
Very powerful and compelling.
This is an amazing and powerful tribute to this man and one that should be incorporated to all of our current political venom being spewed between parties and politicians. Hate only spurs horrible things regardless of the "basis" or alleged justification for it. God Bless this man.
What an incredible human being!
amazing! May he and has entire family be blessed with good health, always. I have met many of the current German people. They are very sweet; and I believe that this current generation of Germans are good.
unlike their parents
This man is a shining light in a world where there is still far too much darkness.
For every race religion and nationality this is a must listen to tape.
an amazing story, imagine the courage to refuse to accept a parents way at a young age, to be able to identify that that way was the wrong way and change your whole life to what you feel is the right way, the right way should be defined as being decent, respecting people irrespective of their religion or culture.........n.s.t.
Memorable! Words, like I teach, we wish they grow alliances, but
we must not forget the past; this is an incredible story
One of the most moving speeches against hatred!
amazing piece! A must see
His message is remarkably clear. Each one of us is responsible to confront, explore and understand our history. We must choose to learn from it, whether perpetrators or their targets. We can either hide beneath the shadow of history and proclaim it no longer has substance, that is no longer relevant, or we can step out from under the darkness and try to make a difference to the future. Dr. Wollschlager moved me deeply. www.nazimidwife.com
Hate starts as early as age 3. We need to start young teaching diversity and also working in conflict and post conflict environments to reduce the traumatizing conditions that drive radicalization of the people there.
Yes Dr Feder, I agree with you.
Thank you for sharing this talk. It is so insightful!
Kole Hakavode, Dr. Wollschaeger ------- BRAVO!!!
This brave spiritual man who presents the ethical truth, should be viewed by the deniers, and not those of us who already KNOW THE TRUTH. more need to hear, know and believe. Hatred is deeply ingrained in the lives of haters; but we need to pursue truth.
Tremendous, beautifully delivered; unpretentious, authentic, sincere, a story of course that had to be shared and I hope it goes viral. But the understanding he gained by being a seeker of the truth, cost him his love and respect for his father. Sometimes, those whom we love the most, disillusion us the most.........perhaps he needed to experience the impact of that disillusionment, the horrible truth that his father was a perpetrator of evil, in order to catapult to the other direction and become a force for love as opposed to hate.
Doctor Wollschlaeger put it in much better words than I can. However Hatred and war go together and we should be very careful. Years ago I used to believe America was trying to help people overcome bad rulers. However today I feel the Politicans should be the ones to go to war and leave the middle class and poor at home. War is hell and we should sstop condoning it Bravo Dr> Wollschlaeger
In response to Ms. Rubin's question, the answer merely is curiosity. I have a great respect for the gentlemen and have forwarded the utube clip to many others. Ms. Carmeli gave me the answer I was looking for, again, merely out of curiosity.
Proof that education can conquer hatred, ignorance keeps us in the dark. A truly remarkable human being.
wonderful video...what is possible.
I salute this gent! :-)
How commendable not to live with lies and dig deep into unattractive truth.
Anya Malkiel
well said in all aspects of life
From an old Jewish prophet, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and is desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Kudos indeed to this speaker. What a struggle he must have had to deal with what his father and German heritage had done to the Jews.
Yes, it is nice to be optimistic and better yet to strive to foster change. But God sees the end of man from the beginning. He knows all things. Our future is not bright as mankind will continue to sink (unfortunately) deeper and deeper into sin and shame. But there is an answer. It is Jesus and his return. But before he returns, each of us needs to humble ourselves and repent, asking for his forgiveness for our many sins. With that, we will escape God's judgment and have eternal life. Now that is Good News!
Jim Mumy You seem to be obessed with the notion of "sin"... Typically, this is characteristic of someone who is themself involved in some deplorable or immoral behaviour. So what depraved, disgusting, thoroughly repellent activity have you been up to, JIm?
fuck off
After hearing this very interesting story of a German who converted do Jewdaism and knowing that his father had been a Nazi in WWII. I will tell the story of my own father, who was a German Jew who was a soldier in WWI 1914- 1917 and that when he was taken to a Concentration Camp in 1938 was able to escape on a transport on a truck because he encountered a camerade from that WWI who was in charge of that transport and gave him the chance to escape. I came to Montevideo Uruguay South America in 1939 with my family and I grew up here. In 1963 I emigrated to the US forming my own family. In 1976 I was asked to build a memorial of the Holocaust by the Congregation Brothers of Israel in Trenton NJ. That memorial consisting of a broken star of Israel with the inscription "For those who perished in the Holocaust, may they're memory never be forgotten"
Heard him speak last year. Very important story. Point of info- first wife was Jewish. Current wife is not, yet his respect for Judiasm and his knowledge of it remains strong.
This is a beautiful, heartbreaking, heart-warming story.
Amazing...
Courageous person chosen by the Heaven
Open and honest.
He is a fantastic man
Amazing!!!!
powerful
Mark - This is VERY interesting and thought provoking. Thanks for sharing this!
This should have 44 million hits, not 44 thousand.
Inspiring ..
He learnt to discern!
What needes to be fostered is "rightous hatred". Are you not capable of hating evil actions regardless of who is commiting them? There is a time to hate,for it is your hatred which will lead to action,hence driving evil from our midst. "Do not stand by while your neighbors blood is shed".
VERY INTERESTING.
Simplesmente verdadeiro
amazing person !!! so much we can learn from him
Kol HaKavod!
👋🏿
Dr. Wollschlaeger turned his back on the Nazi history of his father: CORRECT!
He has turned his back on the rightful and coming King of the Jews: INCORRECT!
From his experiences he has learned that multi-culturalism is the answer: INCORRECT!
I am a believer in the King-Messiahship of Jesus/Yeshua and have attended an orthodox synagogue for over 10 years. I love the Jewish people, I love the Hebrew language, I love the prayers, but I could never turn my back on the greatest Jew who ever lived and the One who gave His life for me and the One who will soon be coronated in Jerusalem. Kol hakavod!
It would be interesting to understand what it is that one hates about another person or persons. Outside of generalities that someone is "sub-human," defining in detail what precisely is each characteristic that they hate in others? This should be asked of people who have extreme deep seeded hatred of others and especially Jews. With answers to these questions, we may be able to chip away pieces of hatred bit by bit. Of course, we must be able to give reasonable and educated responses to convince them to change their thinking.
On another subject, it should be asked- does each religion believe the God to whom they pray is a totally different God from other religions? Does the method of prayer, customs, and clothing gain greater favor to which ever God they pray. Does their God not respond to people who pray differently from them? Is there actually only one creator to whom all religions pray each in their own way?
What does this wonderful man mean when he calls Pol Pot's philosophy in Cambodia "stone-age Capitalism"? Pol Pot was a Communist through and through!
One would wonder, after evolving from the son of a Nazi to an Israeli Jew, is the doctor now a U.S. citizen and, if so, why would he again change his citizenship, etc.?
He met his American wife in Israel and came with her to the United States in 1991.
In answer to your rhetorical question, may I suggest that you read a chapter or two of Mainmonides' great work, 'A Guide for the Perplexed'.
Don't be naive to believe that this guy represents majority of Germans transformed into good people. There is one thing called "the national character". German's character has always been hateful, cruel and aggressive one. I won't forgive them and to all others "helpers" in implementation of German's "final solution" plan. The same applies to all those who turned their back to Jewish people running out of Europe, running out of their death..
I will always remember it.
I am so disappointed, Vocalist Petrovich, at your response to this clip. Do you not recognise that your prejudice that sees the Nazi brutality of 1933 to 45 as a manifestation of a perculiarly German character trait, is to be as naive and bigoted as those Germans who accepted a bigoted depiction of Jews as possessing particular racial characteristics (both physically and in terms of mindset). So so disappointing and frustrating.
Charming.
Jacqueline White
Sorry about that , one has to fight fire with ... fire ... as it were !!!
:)
Jacqueline White
?!?
Simplesmente verdadeiro