A Holocaust Survivor in Berlin

It isn’t easy to travel at the age of 90. Scratch that—it isn’t that easy at any age! But Gidon is a trooper. We left Israel yesterday to spend a few days in Berlin, and though Gidon has been ill in recent weeks, he came with a clear sense of mission, a twinkle in his blue eyes and a spring in his step.

Berlin is a city full of contrasts. In the span of a short walk, you might pass grand historical monuments, sobering reminders of the Nazi past, and bursts of creative, youthful energy and innovation. For a Holocaust survivor like Gidon, that juxtaposition is especially resonant. He feels uneasy at times, to be in the former seat of Nazi power, the movement that took the lives of millions and devastated Europe, but also a sense of defiance. Gidon is HERE. And he is STILL telling his story. He will not be silent.

Seeing the galleries, parks, and exuberance of Berlin also gives Gidon hope. Time continues to march on, with fresh ideas and energy. But all is not well in Germany, nor in Europe. The AFD (Alternative for Deutschland) has made shocking inroads in German politics, and Poland's newly elected president is a right-wing "Eurosceptic" and a Holocaust revisionist.

For now, Gidon and I focus on what is front of us, and what must be done to counter these threats and hate. For a few days in early summer, we are staying near the River Spree, with the Die Welt balloon floating overhead—an oddly poetic touch in a city that has seen so much darkness and light.

Later this week, The Filmuniversität Babelsberg will create a volumetric film of Gidon—an immersive 3D capture of his story that will be accessible to students for future generations. This is legacy work, and Gidon wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

We’ll share photos and behind-the-scenes glimpses on our Instagram.

Gidon will also speak to 75 German high school students through Wake Up!, an initiative teaching young people about the dangers of online disinformation. Our German publisher, Penguin Random House, has generously donated copies of Let’s Make Things Better to every student. (LMTB comes out in Italian in two weeks, by the way!)

I’ll also be presenting, focusing on social media literacy—an area I’ve spent years working in, navigating the intersection of content creation, Holocaust education, and effective storytelling in the face of cyberbullying, online hate, and disinformation.

Whether in classrooms, digital spaces, or immersive film labs, we’re here to ensure that Gidon’s voice—and the lessons it carries—continues to resonate.

To read about my life in Israel with Gidon, including bi-monthly mini-podcasts, be sure to subscribe to Confessions of an Expat in the Holy Land on Substack.