Elly Gotz

In my years at Greenwood, I have never been in an assembly where the speaker had everyone so enrapt and sitting so still that the lights turned off in the gym; the motion sensors need to detect movement to keep the lights on.

That is, until this Monday, when Greenwood welcomed Elly Gotz. Elly is a Holocaust survivor, retired engineer and businessman who speaks with about 15,000 students per year. The 95-year-old shared his story of life in Kovno ghetto in Lithuania and message of tolerance as part of Greenwood’s Holocaust Education Week programming. He spoke with vulnerability and frankness, sharing stories about life before and in the ghetto, the atrocities and horrific conditions he and his father faced in Dachau Concentration Camp, his drive for education and passion for math, and his life after surviving the Holocaust. 

Elly did not mince words when he told us how filled with hate he was after liberation. While he expected to feel free, he instead felt consumed with hate. Until, one day, he decided he had to let it go. 

"To hate is like taking poison, and hoping the other will die,” he said. “But you are poisoned. I know we get hurt sometimes; people hurt us and people bully us. Don’t waste time hating those people."  

You don’t have to forgive, he said, but to let go of hate is to free yourself.

“Be curious about people who seem different from you, and you will instead discover your common humanity.”

You can read more about Elly on his website. He also wrote a memoir, details of which can be found on his site.

Elly closed his talk with the Cherokee story that speaks of two wolves within each person's heart – one symbolizing goodness, love, and compassion, and the other embodying anger, hatred, and fear. These wolves perpetually battle for dominance. The wolf that prevails depends on the one we choose to feed. When we nurture kindness, empathy, and positive virtues, the good wolf triumphs, fostering peace and harmony in our lives. Conversely, if we indulge negativity, resentment, and destructive emotions, the dark wolf gains strength, causing discord and misery. The story reminds us that our actions and choices determine the wolf that ultimately rules our hearts, depending upon which wolf we choose to feed.

A huge thank you to Ms. Cooper for arranging Elly’s visit. Holocaust Education programming will continue over the next few weeks.

Elly’s talk brought to mind my visit to Poland and Israel this past summer as part of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Compassion to Action tour. In this edition of Life @ Greenwood, you’ll find some reflections from my trip. These reflections were written earlier this fall and scheduled for the October 11 edition of Life @ Greenwood but held over due to the situation unfolding in Israel and Gaza at that time. I have decided to share this now during Holocaust Education Week, and you can find the link below.