Belgium
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The most impactful way to convey the story of the Holocaust is to personalize it—to bring it down to an individual, human level. Rather than reducing the victims to mere numbers or statistics, we must illuminate their lives, their struggles, and their humanity. By sharing their personal stories, we can break through the abstraction and…
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Just before Christmas 2011, I lost sight in my right eye. The retina had become detached, but after two operations, the sight could not be saved, in fact, my eye shrunk dramatically, and I now have a glass shell with an eye painted on it in front of the remainder of my eye. In November…
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Henri Kichka was 16 when he was deported to Auschwitz. He was born in Brussels, Belgium 14 April 1926, into a Jewish family that had emigrated from Poland. Below is a transcript of his interview with the BBC, where he describes that he no longer had a name but a number. “Henri Kichka: 1-7-7-7-8-9. My…
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In the quiet fields of northern Belgium, where red poppies bloom between rows of white crosses, a poem was born from the grief and valor of World War I. In Flanders Fields, written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, has become one of the most enduring war poems in the English language—a testament to loss, duty,…
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I was reluctant to use the title, From Zero to 102 as the title, I didn’t want it to look like a review for a car. However, I couldn’t think of a more suitable title either. The 0 and the 102 are the ages of two victims of the Holocaust. This is how evil the…
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Andrée Dumon, known by her codename “Nadine,” was a prominent figure in the Belgian Resistance during World War II. Born on September 5, 1922, in Brussels, she became an integral member of the Comet Line, a network dedicated to aiding Allied airmen shot down over occupied Europe. Her courageous efforts and unwavering commitment to the…
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The Battle of the Bulge fought from December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945, was one of the largest and most consequential battles of World War II. This pivotal conflict between the Allied forces and Nazi Germany occurred in the Ardennes region of Belgium, Luxembourg, and France. Often considered Adolf Hitler’s last major offensive in…
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In November 1944, Jewish underground fighters in Belgium found themselves at a significant historical juncture. With the liberation of Belgium by Allied forces in September of that year, these fighters, who had risked their lives to resist Nazi occupation and protect Jewish lives, transitioned from covert operations to a new set of challenges and opportunities.…
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In the last few weeks, Patrick has been on my mind a lot, probably because of the UEFA Euro 2024. Shortly after UEFU Euro 88, we went on an interrail trip through the Benelux and went camping. All the Dutch we met were still celebrating the Dutch win of the Euros; it was a great…
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On May 3, 1915, shortly after losing a friend in Ypres, Belgium, a Canadian doctor, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote his now-famous poem after seeing poppies growing in battle-scarred fields. Alexis Helmer, a close friend, was killed during the battle on May 2. McCrae performed the burial service himself, where he noticed how poppies quickly…
History of Sorts 