Amid coronavirus fears, Australian Holocaust survivor calls for calm
Olga Horak chats with a newscaster — from a safe distance. Image by Nine News Sydney
By Irene Katz Connelly March 24, 2020
Speaking to Nine News Sydney, an Australian television channel, 93-year-old Holocaust survivor Olga Horak urged citizens not to panic about the novel coronavirus, telling them to stay calm and be kind to each other instead.
Like America, Australia has seen streets emptied by social distancing, empty supermarket shelves, and escalating cases of coronavirus in the past few weeks. But, Horak pointed out, “it won’t last forever.”
If you’re looking for a dose of perspective – Holocaust survivor, Olga Horak, is calling for calm and kindness as we face the uncertainty ahead. @KateCreedon9 #9News pic.twitter.com/3RapzMmuBX
— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) March 24, 2020
Born to a Jewish family in Czechoslovakia during the Great Depression, Horak was a teenager when World War II broke out. She survived internment in Auschwitz but lost her entire family in the Holocaust.
After the war’s end, Horak immigrated to Australia and started a family. A great-grandmother today, she leads an active life: until last week, she was volunteering at the Sydney Jewish Museum.
In the segment, Horak said she was saddened to see “greedy” shoppers hoarding groceries. “I’m stunned, because it reminds me of war.”
But, she said, it’s important to keep in mind that even the worst calamities come to an end.
“After rain comes sunshine,” she said.
Irene Connelly writes about culture and lifestyle for the Forward. You can contact her at [email protected].
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
