During World War II, Meyer Hack spent four years at the notorious Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz. He worked in the camp's laundry, processing clothing the Nazis had confiscated from new arrivals. He would occasionally find jewels and other valuables in the pockets or sewn into the linings of coats and dresses. Meyer kept sixteen such pieces hidden in a sock in his barracks. When the camp was liberated, he secreted the valuables out of Europe.
Meyer and his wife, Sylvia, came to America after the war and raised two sons. He kept the cache of jewelry hidden in his attic for more nearly sixty years. It was not until 2008 that Meyer, then a frail 92 year old, gave the collection: pocket watches, brooches, and an ornate bracelet of gold and emeralds to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.
Why did Meyer break his silence after more than 60 years? He said, “I realized that I had to tell the world what I saw and experienced.” Those simple pieces of jewelry tell the story of millions of innocent souls who perished in the face of unspeakable evil.
We are like Meyer, we cannot be silent. We must tell what we have seen and experienced. In our forgiveness of one another we have seen evil transformed into justice. In our times of discouragement we have experienced hope in the kindness of another brought to us by God. In our sadness as we faced the death of a loved one we have found consolation in the promise of resurrection. In our hurt and anger we have felt calm and comfort by the presence of the Spirit of God.
We are surrounded by such "pieces and gems”, and as disciples, we must not hide these gems of truth. We must tell others of our experience. In the Gospel, Jesus tells his followers that they are “witnesses to these things” and so must tell others. Who in your life needs to hear what you have seen? Whose life could you bless by sharing what you have known? You cannot remain silent, you are a witness, just like Meyer, but your witness is one of goodness. Tell it!
Father Don
