Holocaust survivor-author Eddie Jaku dies in Sydney aged 101

CANBERRA – Holocaust subsister Eddie Jaku, who past twelvemonth published his best-selling memoir, “The Happiest Man connected Earth,” has died successful Sydney, a Jewish assemblage person said. He was 101.

“Eddie Jaku was a beacon of airy and anticipation for not lone our community, but the world,” New South Wales authorities Jewish Board of Deputies main enforcement serviceman Darren Bark said successful a statement.

“He volition ever beryllium remembered for the joyousness that followed him, and his changeless resilience successful the look of adversity,” Bark added.

Jaku died connected Tuesday.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison paid tribute to Jaku’s determination to “make his beingness a grounds of however anticipation and emotion tin triumph implicit despair and hate.”

“He volition beryllium sadly missed, particularly by our Jewish community. He was an inspiration and a joy,” Morrison added.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, whose Jewish-Hungarian parent besides survived the Holocaust and arrived successful Australia successful 1950 arsenic a stateless child, said “Australia has mislaid a giant.”

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“He dedicated his beingness to educating others astir the dangers of intolerance and the value of hope,” Frydenberg said successful a statement.

“Scarred by the past, helium lone looked forward. May his communicative beryllium told for generations to come,” Frydenberg added.

Jaku said successful a code successful Sydney successful 2019: “I bash not hatred anyone. Hate is simply a illness which whitethorn destruct your enemy, but volition besides destruct you.”

“Happiness does not autumn from the sky. It’s successful your hands. I’m doing everything I tin to marque this satellite a amended spot for everyone,” helium said.

Jaku was calved Abraham “Adi” Jakubowiez successful April 1920 successful the German metropolis of Leipzig. His parents and galore of his wider household did not past the war.

He was tossed retired of schoolhouse successful 1933 astatine the property of 13 due to the fact that helium was Jewish, but managed to decorativeness his precocious schoolhouse acquisition successful different metropolis nether an alias successful 1938 with a qualification successful precision engineering.

Jaku said his qualification spared him the state chambers successful the years that followed due to the fact that helium worked arsenic a enslaved laborer.

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He was sent to and escaped from attraction camps including Buchenwald and Auschwitz, wherever his parents were gassed connected arrival.

He escaped from what helium suspected was a decease march arsenic an Auschwitz captive arsenic Allies approached. He spent months successful hiding earlier U.S. troops recovered him adjacent starved and sick with cholera and typhoid.

In 1946, helium joined successful Belgium his Jewish woman Flore, who had spent a comparatively uneventful warfare successful Paris pretending to beryllium Christian, and they migrated to Australia successful 1950.

The hubby worked astatine a Sydney store and his woman arsenic a dressmaker earlier they went into existent property together.

Forever marked with an Auschwitz captive fig tattooed connected his near arm, helium besides became a unpaid astatine the Sydney Jewish Museum, sharing his experiences and philosophies of beingness with visitors.

“When anybody near Eddie having spoken to him, they truly conscionable felt arsenic if their full outlook connected beingness had changed,” depository main enforcement Norman Seligman told Nine Network television.

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Jaku said with the commencement of his archetypal lad Andre, “I realized I was the luckiest antheral connected Earth.”

He is survived by his woman of 75 years, his sons Andre and Michael, 4 grandchildren and 5 large grandchildren.

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