Simon Wiesenthal (1908–2005) was an Austrian Holocaust survivor who spent four and a half years in the German concentration camps such as Janowska, Plaszow, and Mauthausen. After the war, he became famous for his work as a Nazi hunter. Wiesenthal dedicated most of his life to tracking down and gathering information on fugitive Nazis so that they could be brought to justice.
In 1999, at a conference of European Rabbis in Bratislava, Wiesenthal, at 91, shared a profound encounter with Rabbi Eliezer Silver after his liberation from Mauthausen. Rabbi Silver, a towering figure in American Jewry who had saved countless lives during and after the war, came to Mauthausen to comfort the survivors and organized a prayer service.
Rabbi Eliezer Silver (1882-1968) was among American Jewry’s foremost religious leaders, and most noted for spearheading efforts in rescuing as many Jews as possible from Europe. He raised funds, requested exemptions on immigration quotas, offered to ransom concentration camp prisoners for cash and tractors – talks that freed hundreds from Bergen-Belsen and other death camps—and organized rallies in Washington. After the war, he traveled to Europe and worked tirelessly on the ground to assist his brethren.
It was in Mauthausen after liberation that Simon Wiesenthal was visited by Rabbi Silver when he had come to help and comfort the survivors. Rabbi Silver had organized a special prayer service and he invited Wiesenthal to join the other survivors in praying. Mr. Wiesenthal declined and explained his position.
“When I was in camp, I saw many different types of people do things. There was one religious man of whom I was in awe. This man had managed to smuggle a Siddur (Jewish prayer book) into the camp. I was amazed that he took the risk of his life in order to bring the Siddur in.
“The next day, to my horror, I realized that this was not a religious man. He was renting the Siddur in exchange for people giving him their last piece of bread. I was so angry with this Jew, how could he take a Siddur and use it to take a person’s last piece of bread away? So I am not going to pray, if this is how religious Jews behave.”
As Wiesenthal turned to walk away, Rabbi Silver tapped him on the shoulder and gently said in Yiddish, “Oy naar, naar.” Wiesenthal was intrigued why had the Rabbi called him childish. The answer wasn’t long in coming.
Rabbi Silver continued, “Why do you look at the manipulative Jew who rented out his Siddur to take away people’s last meals? Why do you look at that less-than-noble person? Why don’t you focus on the dozens of Jews who gave up their last piece of bread in order to be able to use a Siddur? To be able to talk to G-d? Why don’t you look at those awesome people who in spite of all their suffering still felt they can connect to their Creator?
“The Germans deprived them of everything! They had nothing left. The last thing they owned, their courage, hope, faith—that the Germans could not take away from them. Is this inspiring or what?!” Asked Rabbi Silver.
Wiesenthal joined the service that day and shared the story some sixty years later.
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Source: Yerachmiel Tilles for shemayisrael.co.il, Talk given by Rabbi YY Jacobson, Yosef Ben-Shlomo HaKohein for Chabad.org, Rabbi Elazar Muskin JewishJournal.com. Story accuracy confirmed by the Simon Weisenthal Center.
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