Holocaust survivors and children visit memorial

JERUSALEM (WSVN) -- Holocaust survivors and their children paid an emotional visit to the world's largest Holocaust memorial, as part of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation's 10-day trip to Israel.

The South Florida community contains many Holocaust survivors, and some of those survivors visited Yad Vashem, the world's largest Holocaust museum, during a mega mission trip with the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.

As the survivors age, the need to tell their stories increases, and when they flew to Israel for the mission trip and went to the Holocaust memorial with their children, their emotions heightened, also.

Those who went to Yad Vashem first had to walk down a path planted with trees for non-Jews, who risked their own lives to save the lives of Jews.

One of the exhibits in the museum contained hundreds of shoes that once belonged to innocent children who were sent to their deaths. That exhibit left a huge impression on the people who saw it.

Hannah Schear, Daughter Of Holocaust Survivor: "I think, as a child of survivors, you are marching for the living from the day that you are born, because you feel their pain."

Schear laid a wreath at the memorial, along with her mother, a Holocaust survivor, and her niece.

Generations have been affected by the horror of the Holocaust.

Hannah Schear, Daughter Of Holocaust Survivor: "It's my home, and so the coming together of all these components of my friends and family from Miami, at least those that are with us here, and being in Jerusalem."

More than 700 people from Miami are taking part in the federation's 10-day trip to the Holy Land.

Transporting hundreds throughout Israel has proven difficult; the group requires 16 buses to travel throughout the nation during the trip.

Barbara Black Goldfarb, Greater Miami Jewish Federation: "To see our people from our community being here, to take part in this ceremony, gives a sense of comfort."

The comfort comes at a time when Israel is under constant threat. However, those on the mission trip are focusing on ensuring that the annihilation of millions of lives does not occur again.

Hannah Schear, Daughter Of Holocaust Survivor: "Just to be able to share that responsibility with more people, more Jews, because we're all children of the Holocaust."

This week in Israel, there have been memorials dedicated to those who have risked their lives defending the State of Israel. Now, an entire community is taking a stand to emphasize that the threat to Israel is not just a Jewish issue, but a global one that has impacted South Florida.

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