Under the shadow of tanks and halftracks from a bygone era, a solemn and stirring commemoration was held Friday at the Museum of American Armor in Old Bethpage, Long Island, to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp. The event drew Holocaust survivors, their families, community leaders, and students, all united in honoring the memory of those who perished and celebrating the resilience of those who survived.
The program was emceed by Gary Lewi, the Museum’s founding trustee, who set the tone for an afternoon of remembrance and reflection. A central highlight was the powerful firsthand testimony of Holocaust survivor Fred Zeiberger, who recounted his harrowing journey and the hope that came with liberation. Joining him was a granddaughter of a survivor from the North Shore Hebrew Academy, who shared the lasting legacy of her family’s story and the importance of educating future generations.
In an emotional and unplanned conclusion to the program, Rabbi Anchelle Perl of Chabad of Mineola was asked to deliver the final prayer. Drawing deeply from personal experience, Rabbi Perl reflected on the enduring lessons he learned from his late father, himself a Holocaust survivor. “My father taught me that the answer to darkness is not despair, but light,” he said. “We overcome evil not just by surviving, but by adding more goodness and kindness in the world.”
In a moment that united the crowd in spirit and voice, Rabbi Perl led everyone in singing the iconic Passover song Dayenu, transforming the museum space into a sanctuary of memory and hope.
Among the guests was Lee Macklowe, a distinguished member of Chabad Mineola, who extended warm greetings and embodied the community’s deep commitment to honoring Holocaust memory through action and education.
Rabbi Perl added “the ceremony also marks the upcoming birthday of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Yud Alef Nissan, whose message for Passover resonates with renewed urgency. The Rebbe taught that each generation must take the responsibility of redemption into its own hands, and that the path forward is paved by increasing acts of goodness and kindness.”
As the world prepares for Passover, the liberation of Buchenwald stands not only as a historical milestone but as a spiritual reminder: that even after the greatest darkness, freedom can come—and with it, a responsibility to light the way forward for others.
