100-Year-Old Holocaust Survivor Shares Story with Congress

A century of life has given Leah Goldberg perspective that few people possess, and she's using it to make sure future generations never forget history's darkest chapters.

The Valley Stream resident recently sat down with Representative Laura Gillen to share her harrowing escape from Nazi-occupied Poland. Her father's keen awareness saved their family when he read the signs of approaching danger and moved everyone to a cellar just in time.

"We could hear the footsteps of the soldiers running in and around and in the house," Goldberg recalled. When they emerged the next morning, everything was gone. The entire town had been burned to the ground while people slept.

Goldberg's story isn't just a window into the past. It's fueling present-day action in Congress through the HEAL Act, which would audit Holocaust education programs nationwide and identify gaps in teaching.

The timing couldn't be more urgent. Only 196,600 Holocaust survivors remain alive worldwide, with a median age of 87. These living witnesses to history are disappearing, making it critical to preserve and share their testimonies while we still can.

When asked why fighting antisemitism matters, Goldberg's answer was simple and powerful. "We don't want something like that to repeat itself in any place in the world," she said.

Her wisdom extends beyond her own experience. "Hatred is not measured by the yardstick," she told Gillen, emphasizing that the lessons of the Holocaust apply to all forms of bigotry and discrimination.

Why This Inspires

Goldberg's response to Holocaust deniers cuts through nonsense with clarity: "This is just the same as if I would say, you were never born." At 100, she hasn't lost her sharp edge or her commitment to truth.

She receives support from Selfhelp Community Services' Holocaust Survivor Program, which helps more than 5,000 survivors in New York. These services ensure survivors can share their stories and live with dignity.

The HEAL Act represents bipartisan recognition that education is our best defense against repeating history. It would require the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to study which states require Holocaust education and what curricula they use.

Goldberg believes people need to "see the light in the distance and recognize it" before darkness falls again. Her father recognized danger approaching and saved his family. Now she's helping an entire generation recognize warning signs before they become disasters.

A woman who witnessed unimaginable evil is spending her final years ensuring it never happens again.