‘Bonding with God”: Local rabbi and children rekindle local holocaust survivor’s Jewish heritage after chance meeting

WASILLA — Rabbi Mendy Greenberg didn’t expect to meet a holocaust survivor mere miles away from the Mat-Su Jewish Center, but that’s exactly what happened a week before the 2019 Chanukah season.

“I was in utter shock to find a Holocaust survivor right here in Palmer, living in Alaska since 1951,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg is the director of the Mat-Su Jewish Center and makes routine visits across the community, often by word of mouth suggestions. Last December, Greenburg was prompted to visit a senior resident in Palmer center.

On his way out, he asked the receptionist if there happened to be any Jewish residents around or perhaps someone who may want to speak to a rabbi. The receptionist brought him to 91-year-old Valley resident Fred Mane.

After a few minutes of conversation, Greenberg found out that both of Mane’s parents were Jewish. With Chanukah just around the corner, Greenberg was especially elated and told Mane that makes him Jewish.

“I was very excited to tell him that makes him Jewish, and that he has a perfect opportunity to do the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah menorah this coming Sunday!” Greenberg said. “He didn’t exactly share in my excitement.”

Mane told Greenberg that his wife was Catholic and so was he; saying, “No, Rabbi, I’ve been disconnected from all that stuff for many, many years, it has nothing to do with me. I forgot about it a long time ago.”

Greenberg asked Mane about his childhood. Mane replied, “1929, Wachenheim, Germany – I was born. At the age of 10, my 7-year-old sister and I were pushed onto a train from Germany to France to save our lives. My father, Simon and mother, Helen? Killed by Hitler.”

Both of Mane’s parents died in concentration camps around the start of the second world war. Mane and his sister were able to flee Europe on an outbound boat from Portugal to New York.

Mane eventually got married and the two moved to Fairbanks. Mane has lived in Alaska for over 70 years. He recently moved to the Valley to be closer to his children, which in the end, gave Greenberg a chance to reintroduce a part of the man’s family that he put away 80 years ago.

“He obviously was very hurt and he separated from Judaism,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg returned with his children and Mane was very excited to meet them. The kids had a very warm affect on Mane, helping him unpack even more memories of his childhood, letting the afterglow of his parents seep back in.

“They helped him kindle the Chanukah lights for the very first time in eighty years. The one and only word of the blessing that Fred remembered was the name of God, and he repeated it over and over. The kids and Fred became real buddies, sharing notes and discussing different Jewish traditions and customs,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg said that prior to the fateful day his family was arrested, Mane grew up in a religious household. The daily rituals and annual costumes from his traditional Jewish upbringing were essentially on the shelf of his mind. Acting them out with kindhearted people helped him take them off the metaphorical shelf and take a rekindled sense of pride in his heritage.

“Fred told me that it’s been so long since he has identified and acted as a Jew. He was so thankful to us for coming and bringing the light of Judaism and of Chanukah to him,” Greenberg said.

During another visit, while Mane put on the Tefillin or phylacteries, which is a set of small black leather boxes containing scrolls of parchment inscribed with verses from the Torah.

“He mentioned to me that if his parents would’ve been able to see him today, they would be proud. I responded that Hitler was able to destroy bodies, but souls are divine and eternal. His parents are watching him and gaining much pride that 80 years after being cruelly ripped from one another, he is embracing his Jewish identity and celebrating his Judaism proudly and freely,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg was thrilled to relate the tale of that chance encounter.

“I told Fred that it is our greatest honor and privilege to be able to assist somebody who is literally a survivor from the ashes of a most terrible time in our history, which wiped out 6 million precious souls from our nation,” Greenberg said.

Befriending Mane left Green all the more inspired to continue his efforts across the community, to keep “bonding with God.”

“When you’re able to bring back a person that was so viciously ripped away from who he was, his true identity, you really realize how important it is what we’re doing,” Greenberg said.

The Mat-Su Jewish Center is in the middle of a fundraising campaign to support their overall services supporting the community, providing “physical, emotional and spiritual support.”

They recently held a 36 hour fundraising drive, raising a total of $71,510 toward the overall goal of $100,000. Greenberg said they’re all very grateful for the community’s support amid the challenging times.

Moving forward, they plan to continue fundraising for the next few months, acknowledging there’s numerous households who be able to donate during the ever changing COVID-19 pandemic.

“At the Mat-Su Jewish Center, our priority remains the health and welfare of our community and our families,” Greenberg said.

Greenberg said that anyone in the community in need of help can call the center at 907-350-1787.

People lookling to donate toward the campaign can do so online at any time, and every dollar received will be doubled. For more information, visit fuelthegrowth.rallybound.org.

To access the center’s homepage, visit matsujewishcenter.org.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com. Support local journalism. By subscribing you help local journalism continue to thrive. For our latest digital subscription information, see frontiersman.com/site/forms/subscription_services/