Holocaust Survivors Still Seeking Answers on Day of Remembrance

American Red Cross
Tuesday, 9 April 2002

Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information Center Offers Hope

Holocaust Day of Remembrance - this year April 9 - was established in 1980 by Congress to commemorate victims of the 20th century Wold War II genocide that took the lives of millions. For many Holocaust survivors, memories of personal pain and family anguish remain. The weight of memory is heavy for those who still seek the fate of loved ones, more than 55 years after the war's end.

Since the end of World War II, the American Red Cross has been reuniting families separated by the devastation of the war era. That work continues today through the free and confidential services provided by the American Red Cross to survivors of World War II and the Holocaust. From it's inception in 1990, the center has sought the fates of more than 30,000 individuals. For most, the center brings closure - learning or confirming the fate of a loved one. In more than 1,000 cases, the center has made it possible to connect people who have not seen each other for more than 50 years.

Inspired by the hope of keeping her mother's memory alive, Holocaust survivor Judith Raphael - a resident of Los Angeles, California - contacted her local Red Cross. After several years of dedicated research by the Red Cross, Judith and her son learned the news the Red Cross had discovered about her mother. "I was grateful to find out exactly where my mother was taken during the war and the dates when she was taken to those places. Learning these things gave me the peace I didn't have for 50 years," Judith said. The Red Cross was also able to provide Judith with information about her aunt. But most inspiring of all, "the Red Cross has informed me that my cousin survived the Holocaust just as I did - he is living in England and I hope to see my cousin this summer for the first time in over 50 years. We must not forget our family just because they were not fortunate enough to survive. We need to make our lost family a memory for our children," said Judith.

"Preserving the memory of people is meaningful to these survivors and helping them find relatives who are still alive keeps them going," said Linda Klein, director of the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information Center. "Our services keep memories alive or let them rest in peace." In 1989, the former Soviet Union released thousands of documents captured from Nazi death and forced labor camps including Auschwitz. The American Red Cross prepared for the inquiries and search requests by establishing the tracing center in 1990 in Baltimore, Maryland. With volunteers at American Red Cross chapters across the United States, the center is a national clearinghouse dedicated to helping persons who are seeking the fate of loved ones missing since World War II and its era.

The American Red Cross International Social Services Program, of which the Holocaust and War Victims Tracing and Information Center is a part, is dedicated to alleviating the suffering of family members worldwide separated by war or disaster by providing information about the fate of loved ones and reestablishing communication.

The American Red Cross is dedicated to helping make families and communities safer at home and around the world, assisting international disaster and conflict victims in more than 50 countries.

For more information, or to contact American Red Cross, see their website at: www.redcross.org