Connect with us

RSS

Obituary: Lou Hoffer, a Holocaust survivor who had a passion for keeping the stories of Romanian Jews alive

Romanian-born Holocaust survivor Lou Hoffer was dedicated to putting a spotlight on the plight of Romanian Jews deported to Transnistria, a region of the Ukraine known as ‘The Death Trap,” during the Second World War.

He died in Toronto on Jan. 10.

“Lou was an eloquent survivor speaker who captivated the audience’s attention, especially students. He often started his talks with a bit of a geography and history lesson before diving into his personal experiences in the Holocaust, as most people didn’t know the area he originally came from and was deported to,” said Mary Siklos, who worked closely with Hoffer and other survivors at the Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre in Toronto. “He was a passionate advocate for educating people about Transnistria.”

Hoffer estimated he was born in 1927 in Vijnitz, Romania, where half of its prewar population of 8,000 was Jewish. His records and documentation were lost during the war. He attended classes at Jewish and secular schools where he was recognized as an excellent student, played soccer and travelled to the Carpathian Mountains for excursions. 

Hoffer’s ordeal started in 1940 with Russian occupation. A year later, Germany invaded the Soviet Union and Vijnitz was under German control. More than 250 Jews were killed in a pogrom that lasted for three days. Hoffer’s grandfather was one of the first Jews murdered.

By the end of 1941, Hoffer, his parents and his younger brother were deported in overcrowded cattle cars. Their first stop was a town called Ataki, on the banks of the Dniester River across from Ukraine. Hoffer and his family took shelter in homes that were abandoned by Jewish residents. 

In a 2014 interview Hoffer told The CJN that the Jews left messages on the walls of these empty houses. ‘We are being killed. If you survive, please tell the world what happened to us. Say Kaddish for us and don’t ever forget us.’ Hoffer committed himself to doing this if he survived.

The family were moved to a region called Transnistria, meaning ‘beyond the Dneister River’, controlled by Romania. In an interview that Hoffer did with the U.S. Holocaust Museum, he described what his family experienced during the war.

“During the first 10 days of deportations, 38,000 Jews were killed on both sides of the border. Many were just driven into the river and shot.”

The Hoffers survived the transport and arrived in Shargorod, an ‘unofficial’ ghetto. The new arrivals joined some 2,000 local Ukrainian Jews who lived there. “We were now stateless, homeless and we didn’t know what to do next.” Hoffer and his family traded clothes for food whenever possible with local Ukrainian peasants who had potatoes, milk and cheese.

“We battled typhus and dysentery,” Hoffer said. “There were 10 people living in two-and-a-half rooms. Germany had a formula to kill Jews with gassing and mass executions. But Romania was trying to save bullets, so they simply deprived Jews of food, water and shelter. And they would shoot a few of us. The Germans would occasionally come to the Romanian side to get Jews for target practice.”   

In April 1944, after Hoffer and his family had suffered in Shargorod for three years, the Russian army appeared. “A tall, powerful man dressed in a military uniform started to speak. In perfect Yiddish he said that in most of the territory that his army liberated there were very few Jewish survivors. He said that the ‘heroic Red Army will eradicate the Nazi beast from the face of the earth.’ My brother and I were so overcome with emotion that we both cried uncontrollably.” Hoffer, his brother and his parents had survived.

Nearly half of Romania’s prewar Jewish population was deported to Transnistria, which became known as ‘The Death Trap’. Over 400,000 Jews incarcerated in concentration camps and ghettos in Transnistria were murdered or perished from starvation and disease. About half were deportees from Romania, while the remainder were Transnistria residents who became trapped there with the German-Romanian invasion.

In 1948, Hoffer arrived in Canada through the Canadian Jewish Congress’s orphans’ program and began a successful business career in Saskatchewan. “They taught us how to operate a tractor and gave us $50 a month and a room.”  Hoffer married his wife Magda Pressburger in 1959 and in 1966 they moved to Weyburn Sask., where Hoffer worked in the auto-wrecking and cattle industries and they raised their family.

In 2003 they moved to Toronto to be closer to their grown children and grandchildren and Hoffer reconnected with his past as he became involved with the Transnistria Survivors Association where he served as president for three years. He also was a sought-after speaker at the Toronto Holocaust Museum.

“Lou enjoyed working with students,” said Siklos. “He served as a mentor in the Holocaust Centre’s bar/bat mitzvah project, patiently preparing the students for the difficult tasks of remembering child victims of the Shoah. He was also instrumental in arranging the inclusion of the Transnistria Landsmanshaft information on the bridge between UJA’s Lipa Green building and the Gales Building.”

The Transnistria Survivors’ Association disbanded in 2014 but during its 10-year existence it worked to create public awareness that Romania and its citizens were one of Germany’s key allies in the oppression and murder of Jews.

Through the Jewish National Fund, Hoffer and his wife Magda planted 1,000 trees in the Transnistria Grove in the Aminadav forest near Jerusalem in memory of his parents and those who died there.

 “Our job as survivors was fulfilled 100 percent,” he said. “Our stories, our legacies with be around for 1,000 years.  The world isn’t going to forget.”

Hoffer is survived by his wife of 64 years Magda, children Michelle, Galya and Mark and eight grandchildren. He is predeceased by his son Garry and his brothers Joe and Sam.

The post Obituary: Lou Hoffer, a Holocaust survivor who had a passion for keeping the stories of Romanian Jews alive appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.

Post Views: 392
Related Topics:
Continue Reading

RSS

French Foreign Minister Says Recognizing Palestinian State Defies Hamas, Despite Terror Group’s Praise

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot speaks to the media on the day he attends the European Union Foreign Ministers council in Brussels, Belgium, July 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Yves Herman

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot insisted on Friday that President Emmanuel Macron’s push to recognize a Palestinian state defies Hamas’s interests — even as the terrorist group welcomed the decision.

“Hamas has consistently rejected the two-state solution. By recognizing Palestine, France is rejecting the stance of this terrorist organization and affirming its support for peace over war,” the top French diplomat said in a post on X.

However, Hamas praised France’s latest announcement, calling it “a positive step in the right direction.”

France’s initiative is part of “a political development that reflects growing international conviction in the justice of the Palestinian cause and the failure of the Israeli occupation to distort facts or suppress the will of free nations,” said the Palestinian terrorist group, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades.

Hamas also said that such international steps “represent political and moral pressure” on Israel.

On Thursday, Macron announced that France will recognize a Palestinian state and issue a formal statement at the United Nations General Assembly in September as part of its “commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

“The urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and to bring relief to the civilian population,” the French leader said in a post on X.

Macron called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages still held by Hamas, and increased humanitarian aid for Gaza.

He also stressed the need to demilitarize the Iran-backed terrorist group, rebuild the war-torn enclave, and create a Palestinian state that recognizes Israel and ensures regional security.

“The French people want peace in the Middle East. It is our responsibility — as French citizens, alongside Israelis, Palestinians, and our European and international partners — to prove that peace is possible,” the French leader wrote.

However, despite Macron’s continued efforts, his controversial diplomatic initiative to recognize a Palestinian state faces widespread public opposition, with nearly 80 percent of French citizens rejecting the move.

A recent survey conducted by the French Institute of Public Opinion (IFOP) on behalf of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (CRIF) — the main representative body of French Jews — found that 78 percent of respondents opposed a “hasty, immediate, and unconditional recognition of a Palestinian state.”

According to IFOP’s survey, nearly half of French people (47 percent) believe that recognition of a Palestinian state should only be considered after the release of the remaining hostages captured by Hamas during the group’s invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The survey also revealed deep concerns about the consequences of such a premature recognition, with 51 percent of respondents fearing a resurgence of antisemitism in France and 50 percent believing it could strengthen Hamas’s position in the Middle East.

France’s policy move comes after Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia officially recognized a Palestinian state last year, claiming that such a move would contribute to fostering a two-state solution and promote lasting peace in the region.

On Friday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas praised France’s decision, calling it a “victory for the Palestinian cause.”

“This reflects France’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights to their land and their homeland,” Abbas said.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned France’s announcement, describing it as a “reward for terrorism.”

“Such a move … risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became,” the Israeli leader said in a post on X.

“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel. They seek a state instead of Israel,” he continued.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also denounced the move, calling it “reckless” and saying it “only serves Hamas propaganda.”

The post French Foreign Minister Says Recognizing Palestinian State Defies Hamas, Despite Terror Group’s Praise first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Post Views: 30
Continue Reading

RSS

Costa Rica Adopts IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, Joining Latin America’s Fight Against Rising Jew-Hatred

Part of an exhibit on the Holocaust supported by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Photo: courtesy of IHRA.

Costa Rica has formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, becoming the sixth country in Latin America to do so as antisemitic rhetoric and anti-Jewish hatred continue to rise across the region.

Local authorities announced the decision following meetings with a delegation from the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) Arthur and Rochelle Belfer Institute for Latino and Latin American Affairs.

Among the Latin American countries that have already endorsed the IHRA definition are Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Panama, and Uruguay.

An intergovernmental organization comprising dozens of countries, including the United States and Israel, IHRA adopted the “working definition” of antisemitism in 2016.

Since its adoption, the definition has gained widespread support from Jewish organizations and lawmakers around the world, and is now used by hundreds of governmental bodies, including the European Union and the United Nations.

According to the definition, antisemitism “is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”

Beyond traditional antisemitic acts associated with the medieval period and Nazi Germany, the definition provides contemporary examples of antisemitism found in public life, media, education, workplaces, and religious settings — including Holocaust denial and modern forms targeting Israel, such as demonizing the Jewish state and denying its right to exist.

Jewish organizations hailed Costa Rica’s recent decision as a significant milestone in the global fight against Jew-hatred, amid a worldwide surge in antisemitism following the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“We are grateful that Costa Rica has joined the growing number of nations that view the IHRA definition as an essential guidepost to recognize antisemitism in its various forms so it can be properly addressed,” Dina Siegel Vann, director of AJC’s Institute for Latin American Affairs, said in a statement.

“We urge all nations to take this important step to protect their Jewish communities and uphold their Democratic values,” she continued.

Gilbert Meltzer, president of Costa Rica’s Jewish Community, commended the government’s decision to “support morality and combat discrimination.”

“The increase of hate speech and attacks on Jews all over the world, especially after Oct. 7, demands ethical decisions and firm actions as this one,” Meltzer said in a statement.

The European Jewish Congress also praised Costa Rica’s latest move, describing it as “a timely and courageous step” amid a rising climate of hostility against Jews.

“Defining hate is the first step to combating it. A principled move that must inspire others,” the statement read.

The post Costa Rica Adopts IHRA Definition of Antisemitism, Joining Latin America’s Fight Against Rising Jew-Hatred first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Post Views: 30
Continue Reading

RSS

‘Reckless Decision’: US Officials Blast France for Recognizing Palestinian State

US President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron react on the day of a press conference, at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Feb. 24, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

US officials were quick to castigate France for its intention to recognize a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, describing the policy as “reckless” and a move that undermines efforts to end the ongoing war in Gaza.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who announced the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition.

“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron said. “I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”

France, home to the third largest Jewish community in the world, will become the first major Western country to recognize a Palestinian state, after smaller nations more generally more critical of Israel did so last year.

Washington lambasted France’s announcement.

“The United States strongly rejects Emmanuel Macron’s plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on the X social media platform. “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”

Likewise, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee slammed France for moving to recognize a Palestinian state.

“How clever! If Macron can just ‘declare’ the existence of a state perhaps the UK can ‘declare’ France a British colony!” he said on X. “Macron’s unilateral ‘declaration’ of a ‘Palestinian’ state didn’t say WHERE it would be. I can now exclusively disclose that France will offer the French Riviera & the new nation will be called ‘Franc-en-Stine.’”

Huckabee has long opposed the recognition of a Palestinian state. In June, the ambassador said that he did not think that an independent Palestinian state remains a goal of US foreign policy.

US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed Macron’s plan, saying it won’t make a difference.

“What he says doesn’t matter,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “He’s a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn’t carry weight.”

Trump added, “”Look, he’s a different kind of a guy. He’s okay. He’s a team player, pretty much. But here’s the good news: What he says doesn’t matter. It’s not going to change anything.”

Israeli officials lambasted France’s plan as a “reward for terrorism,” arguing a Palestinian state at this time would become a hub for terrorism and likely a proxy of Iran, which has long backed the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.

“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it. Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned Macron’s “absurd and unserious” decision that Paris will formally recognize a Palestinian state.

“A Palestinian state would be a Hamas state — just as the [Israeli] withdrawal from the Gaza Strip 20 years ago led to Hamas’s takeover there,” he said in a statement posted on X.

“Israel’s attempt to base its security on Palestinian promises to fight terror failed entirely in the Oslo process,” he continued, referring to the 1990s peace initiative between Israel and the Palestinians that sought a two-state solution. “Israel will no longer gamble with its security and its future.”

Israel maintains that Palestinian statehood should only come as the result of a negotiated peace agreement that ensures Israel’s security and recognition as a Jewish state.

The French announcement comes amid ongoing hostilities in Gaza, where Israeli military operations continue following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel.

Macron defended the decision to recognize a Palestinian state in a statement, saying that the proclamation underscores that France is “true to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

“We must finally build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East,” he added.

The post ‘Reckless Decision’: US Officials Blast France for Recognizing Palestinian State first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Post Views: 31
Continue Reading

Copyright © 2017 - 2023 Jewish Post & News