Saturday, June 21, 2025
Oceanside teens gathered at Chabad of Oceanside on May 6 to hear 92-year-old Holocaust survivor Zelda Polofsky share her story of survival, faith and resilience. Organized through the C-Teen program and with assistance from C-Teen leadership team, the event aimed to connect a generation that is now eight decades removed from World War II with one of its last living witnesses—and to remind them that even one candle can dispel great darkness.
Polofsky, 92, recently shared her remarkable story of survival and resilience with local middle and high school students. The talk, part of an ongoing effort to educate youth about Holocaust history and combat anti-Semitism, drew approximately 45 teenagers who listened intently to Polofsky’s firsthand account.
Polofsky, who lives in Plainview, spoke candidly about her experiences during the Holocaust, including how non-Jewish Polish friends risked their lives to hide her family during the war. Her story highlighted both the depths of human cruelty and the extraordinary compassion that can emerge in the darkest times.
Polofsky was born in the small shtetl of Drujsk (then Poland, now Belarus). Her family first lost all possessions under Soviet rule in 1939 and then faced the German invasion in 1941. Rather than boarding a transport that led to death, her family fled into a nearby ghetto, where young Polofsky experienced her first taste of electricity and indoor plumbing amid harsh conditions.
“Although she saw the worst of mankind, she also saw the best, and she saw the kindness that although the Polish were known to be even worse than the Nazis, some of her friends or neighbors were the ones who saved her,” said Rabbi Zevi Baumgarten, who helped organize the event.
Polofsky and her family hid each winter in the barn of a non-Jewish farmer and spent warmer months in the surrounding woods. In 1944, liberated by Soviet forces at age 12, Polofsky’s family found themselves trapped in Soviet-controlled Berlin. Rabbi Zevi relayed how they were briefly jailed after a failed attempt to reach the American sector; on a second try, they succeeded and spent three and a half years in a Displaced Persons camp. At 16, Zelda moved with her family to St. Paul, Minnesota, where she learned English, completed high school, studied at a Jewish seminary, and earned her university degree. Polofsky later settled on Long Island after marrying, raising three children, and teaching Hebrew for over 40 years.
“With fewer survivors remaining each year, these personal accounts become increasingly precious,” Baumgarten said.
The teens engaged deeply with Polofsky, asking thoughtful questions about her post-war integration, family experiences, and emotional journey. The event comes at a crucial time, with rising anti-Semitism making such educational efforts more important than ever.
“We have to uplift the society with our traditions, with our history and with our knowledge of history, to recognize that we have to love everyone, and we have to treat everybody with respect,” Baumgarten said.
Polofsky’s message of hope, resilience, and gratitude resonated strongly with the young audience, demonstrating the power of personal storytelling in preserving historical memory.
As Holocaust survivors become increasingly rare, events like these serve as vital bridges between generations, ensuring that the lessons of history are never forgotten.
“The more that we bring love, the more we bring light into the world, then the lighter, the brighter, and the safer the world will be,” Baumgarten said.
