Online campaign sees over 100 attend funeral of Shoah survivor with no family

10 June 2015, 5:17 pm

An online appeal has ensured that a Holocaust survivor with no relatives was not left unremembered.

Following the death of an unnamed 93 year old Holocaust survivor, Rachel Steinmetz started a campaign to encourage people to attend the funeral in Israel, on 10 June.

“She has no family to attend,” wrote Steinmetz on her Facebook page.

“If anybody is available to attend it would be a very meaningful way to spend your time.”

The survivor and her husband  were the only surviving members of their family and were be buried in Israel.

Steinmetz’s post gained nearly 900 shares on Facebook, and her message on Twitter also gained attention. 

She told Jewish News, “A friend who knew her personally was feeling sad about the loss and it seemed unfair that a woman who survived the Holocaust would be buried so quietly.

“I was hoping that a few friends in Israel might pull together a minyan. I guess a lot of other people felt the same way.”

“Roughly 120 people attended, some emailed me pictures and videos .. and the attendees came from all walks of life.

She called the experienced “really moving”, adding how “people really care and want to connect in positive ways.”

“In her memory we should all do a better job of making sure that Holocaust survivors have all the love and support that they need while they are living as well.”

After the event, she posted a message on Twitter, saying that Hashem wanted the survivor to “have a proper send off”.

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