Last night I attended an unforgettable presentation by Holocaust survivor Irving Roth. Sponsored by CUFI (Christians United for Israel) and CUFI on Campus, the event was held at Michigan State University.
 
I’d never actually heard anyone’s firsthand testimony about the horrors of the Nazi camps in person before. (Mr. Roth was in Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps.) Knowing that the person who lived through these horrors is the same one standing right there, speaking to you, is rather staggering. The impact is much stronger than reading about it – or even watching a movie – because the speaker is sharing his own unique experiences, feelings and emotions with you.

There are several videos available on YouTube featuring Mr.Roth and his story. Here is a short one he shared with us last night, filmed on a recent trip to Germany with some college students ~
 

 
As tragic as Mr. Roth’s story was, it was also inspiring. Despite the horrors, he was able to endure and persevere, his faith in God intact. He had in fact survived – to courageously share his testimony. He’s a firsthand witness to mankind’s capacity for evil; a voice to warn us all of the dangers of complacency in the face of totalitarianism.
 
In relating his painful story Mr.Roth made a special appeal to the students, emphasizing the dangers of propaganda – and of education without morality.
 
Sitting there, I was praying that the young people around me were understanding and absorbing his vitally important message: “Learn the truth – and spread it!”