Holocaust survivor honors Israel’s strength, proving Jewish survival triumphs as enemies and deniers inevitably fade.
During Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit last week to a synagogue in Miami, a deeply moving moment unfolded that captured the moral core of Jewish history and the living meaning of the State of Israel.
Jake, a Holocaust survivor over 100 years old, quietly approached journalist Yanir Cozin with a simple but powerful request. Speaking softly, he explained that he had survived forests and concentration camps, but lost his entire family. “I was left alone in the world,” he said. “I want to take a picture with the Prime Minister of Israel. It is very important to me.”
Cozin immediately relayed the request to Netanyahu’s staff. Minutes later, during his address, the Prime Minister paused mid-speech and looked toward the elderly man. “I met a man here named Jake, 101 years old, a Holocaust survivor, and I had the privilege of shaking his hand,” Netanyahu said. “Jake, please stand up.”
In a packed hall of hundreds, the frail figure rose—wearing a blue cap and a yellow star pin. In an instant, the entire synagogue stood as one, erupting into sustained applause. The ovation was not only for Jake, but for Jewish survival itself.
The moment carried profound symbolism. A survivor of the greatest attempt to annihilate the Jewish people stood honored before the leader of the Jewish state—something that did not exist when his family was murdered. For Israel and Jews worldwide, it was a living rebuke to Holocaust deniers, anti-Zionists, and those who seek Israel’s destruction today.
Jake’s request was simple. Its meaning was eternal.
