Tova Friedman Quotes

One of the consequences of free will is that humans can choose to follow a dark path.

I would never ever cry in public, even if it meant the punishment lasted longer. It only encouraged our tormentors. They fed on our weaknesses.

The need to remind people to be vigilant about anti-Semitism and hatred is constant.

among their diverse talents, is a trauma specialist. Freddie gave me some useful pointers about unlocking nuggets of information buried within the amygdala, the almond-shaped part of the brain where emotions are remembered, analyzed and attached to associations. One of the most invaluable resources that helped us construct this memoir was the contribution to the Yizkor book of Machel Grossman, Tova’s father. For giving us permission to quote liberally from Machel’s writing, I am indebted to JewishGen, the global home of Jewish genealogy, which owns the translation. I am also grateful for the generosity of Kirsten Gradel, widow of Morris Gradel, a distinguished Yiddish

I was scared. But having a responsibility gave me courage.

Because despite everything we had faced, Jewish refugees remained unwelcome in many countries around the world, and if it had not been for Israel, many would have had no place to go. The need for the Jewish people to have their own homeland, where they could live free from persecution and rejection, was now beyond question.

Hope was an accomplice to murder.

The acquiescence of the German population at large and the lack of any significant objections gave the Nazis the confidence to ratchet up anti-Semitism and institutionalize it as German government policy.

What I still find hard to comprehend all these years later is the absence of conscience and the casual manner in which the murders of harmless civilians were committed, as if this was just another bodily function.

We, as a people, could do nothing to stop these murders, nor the next. There was no retribution. No eye for an eye. They were killing us with impunity.

The Nazis ascended to power in Germany by legitimizing the muscle of the mob and appealing to thug mentality.

Psychopaths alone were incapable of implementing the Holocaust. And they were dependent on an army of complicit drones, as well as highly educated professionals to lubricate the mundane logistics of industrial slaughter.

Poland is nothing but a mass grave for the Jews.

Judaism stipulates that we have a moral obligation to uphold the fundamental rights of others.

Economic, educational and social differences melted away once we connected on an emotional level.

person can change their self-image once they understand that they are truly being seen, heard and valued. I

Extra thanks to Aron, for bringing my story to millions of TikTok viewers and for educating many young people who would otherwise not have heard about the Shoah.

A people which loses its past faces a desolate future.

I love and respect the United States. I believe in almost everything this nation stands for, and I will forever be grateful for the sanctuary it provided, along with my education, and the gift of my husband, Maier, and my family. But I was unable to disconnect from Israel.

I realized I was providing Risa and Gadi with a gift. Being citizens of a Jewish nation meant they would never experience anti-Semitism, discrimination or shame. They would not have to endure the agonies that my family suffered.

It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. ~ William Ernest Henley, “Invictus” (1875)

Jewish activists played a significant part within the movement, not least because Judaism stipulates that we have a moral obligation to uphold the fundamental rights of others. We marched alongside African Americans in Washington as they called for integration. Talking about equality wasn’t sufficient. We decided to live it.

As for forgiveness—in Judaism, only the living can forgive. I have no authority to forgive on behalf of those who have been slaughtered.