Holocaust survivor inspires with words

Offering students much more than a tale of her life story, Holocaust survivor Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis delivered a moving speech on self-discovery last night, urging students to return to their roots. In front of a packed crowd of about 250 people in the University Museum's Rainey Auditorium, Jungreis captivated the audience on topics ranging from the significance of the upcoming millennium to the simplicity of man's relationship with God. "She basically inspired people who never took a step, to take a step in discovering their heritage and their roots," said Rabbi Eli Schwartz, who is affiliated with Penn Hillel. "I think her message was that there is more to life than just surviving." While Jungreis did touch upon her experiences growing up in Hungary, as well as at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, the focus of her speech remained on the Torah and the answers one can find there. She even attributed her "spiritual survival" through the Holocaust to "the words of the Torah and the Shabbat." Jungreis was born into a rabbinic dynasty which traces its roots to King David. During the Holocaust, most of her family was killed by the Nazis. Despite that, Jungreis has committed herself to teaching others, rather than giving up. She quoted the last words of her grandfather to the audience, a metaphor she has taken to heart: "The snow is going to be deep and you will fall, but remember that beneath the snow, there is a path that your [grandfather] has made, and stand up and keep walking." Jungreis has been featured in magazines such as Time, Newsweek, New York and People. The Jewish Heritage Program organized last night's event in conjunction with Commerce Bank, Pepsi-Cola, Gap, Penn Hillel, the Social Planning and Events Committee and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. The large turnout was comprised of not only Penn students, but also various members of the community. "I traveled many miles to see her and I would travel many more," said Eric Weissman, a lawyer in Philadelphia, adding "she was passionate, insightful and steeped in Torah." And University of the Sciences junior Maren Friedman agreed, saying, "She was phenomenal, absolutely amazing. She really struck a chord and made me realize what's really important in life." Jungreis equated the growing issue of identity crises among Jews to their separation with Judaism. "Sure we can walk on the moon, but we cannot answer simple questions like 'Who am I?'" Reaching out to the audience, Jungreis stressed the unity of all Jews. "There is no such thing as Orthodox, Conservative, Reform -- that's modern Jewish politics," she said. "We have one Torah, one people, one God." Jungreis' views on these issues are further developed in her new book, The Committed Life. She distributed and signed copies of the book, free of charge, to all those who attended on the condition that they would, in turn, pass the book to someone else.