Israel Mourns Its Oldest Holocaust Survivor, Who Passed Away at 109

Nechama Grossman, Israel’s oldest Holocaust survivor, passed away peacefully at the age of 109 on Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, marking a poignant moment of loss for Israel and the Jewish world.

Grossman’s granddaughter, Luba, told Kan News that Nechama had remained lucid until the end. “I am in shock I have no words. Honestly, we thought she’d make it to 110,” she said. “She died peacefully. On Holocaust Remembrance Day of all days.”

In her final days, Grossman was haunted by memories of the past, reportedly dreaming of Nazis and expressing renewed fears amid rising global antisemitism. “She always said that we need to live in peace and without wars,” Luba shared. “All the grandchildren served in the army so it wouldn’t happen again.”

Grossman’s son, Vladimir Shvetz, recently spoke about her remarkable life: “She lived through the worst of humanity and survived. She raised her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to teach them that unchecked hatred cannot win.”

He added, “We must remember her story, remember the Holocaust, remember all the survivors; learn from it so that her past does not become our future.”

Grossman was laid to rest on Friday afternoon in her hometown of Arad, near Beersheva.

Tragically, another Holocaust survivor, Eve Kugler, a 94-year-old from the United Kingdom and a participant scheduled for the March of the Living in Poland, also passed away on Yom Hashoah.

Israel’s Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs reports that approximately 120,000 Holocaust survivors currently reside in Israel, though the survivor population is aging rapidly. Over 13,000 survivors have passed away since last Yom Hashoah in 2024.

According to the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, half of the world’s remaining Holocaust survivors are expected to pass within the next six years, making the preservation of their stories more urgent than ever.

Nechama Grossman’s life was a testament to survival, resilience, and hope. Her passing on Yom Hashoah serves as a solemn reminder: our responsibility to remember and carry forward the truth of the Holocaust has never been greater.

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