Holocaust Remembrance Day 2026: The Strength of Memory

By: Ela Bermudez

She began telling her story at 19 years old and never stopped. Now, Don Soffer students

have heard it too. On January 27th, 2026, students and faculty from Don Soffer Aventura

High School gathered at the Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center to listen to Anita Karl share

her experiences as a Holocaust survivor. This school field trip is one of Don Soffer’s yearly

traditions, as every year students get the privilege of listening to another speaker tell their

story and honor the lives lost during World War II on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

As a young Jewish girl from Poland, Anita spent her childhood living in the Lwow ghetto after

the Nazis had invaded her home at three years old. She and her family were forced to do so

in very poor conditions, most of the time being starved.

She described an extremely traumatic experience she had while playing with her little cousin

one day. A German officer had come up to them on the street and pulled out a bar of

chocolate, offering it to them. Both of their eyes had widened in excitement, and they began

running toward him. Anita’s cousin reached him first, and the officer picked her up, gave her

the chocolate with one hand and pulled out a pistol with the other, shooting her in the head.

This account left everyone in the room reeling, in the same way Anita had been unable to

comprehend a reason for the officer’s actions, why had he killed an innocent five year-old

girl?

Anita continued by talking about her mother’s resilience and courage, highlighting the phrase

she had said to her: “You never know how strong you are until strong is your only option.”

Anita and her sisters were able to escape and survive through impossible circumstances by

her mother’s acts of strength, obtaining new documentation and stating they were Catholic.

Later on, Jewish Student Union President and a senior at Don Soffer, Samantha Gross,

shared a powerful message to everyone in the synagogue. “Change starts with education

and it starts with thinking critically about the world around us, and above all, it starts with

you.”

Many felt moved by Anita’s story and asked her questions about remembering the past and

dealing with injustice and antisemitism in today’s world. Students returned to school ready to

speak about this meaningful experience and what they learned.

“We must be upstanders. We cannot be bystanders and allow injustice to happen.”

Her voice resounded loud and clear. Both articulated and confident, Anita Karl’s story was

impactful, leaving students in deep thought.

Recent Posts