Daily Miracles, Part 1: Holocaust Day

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Yom Hashoah – Holocaust Day

Today, Monday the 8th of April is the Annual Holocaust Memorial Day whereby Jews around the World stop and remember the 6 Million Jews killed in WWII by the Nazi Regime, along with Thousands of Homosexuals, Gypsies and Non-Aryan anti-Nazis.

Usually I haven’t spend too much time thinking about this day, but for some reason I found myself thinking about it this year. I’ve been listening to the AMAZING Inner Circle Audios here in my Empower Network Back Office and am constantly being uplifted and engaged in personal development.

One of the many things Dave Wood has spoken about is just how slim the chance is that you should be here right now. This is not a new concept to me as Judaism speaks a lot about Divine Providence. Whether you choose to call is Fate, Destiny, the Universe or God guiding each and every one of us towards our ultimate goal.

So I’ve decided to embark on a Journey where I will be looking back and trying to think about all those ‘chance’ happenings that effectively have been the right thing, at the right time, at the right place.

Karl Mendels, My Great-Grandfather, was a cattle-trader in the small town of Harsewinkel, Germany. With the onset of the 1930′s and the uprising of Hitler and Nazi Germany, my Great-Grandfather was wise enough to see that things in Germany were not going to be promising, especially for us Jews. I can’t remember exactly what the year was, either 1937 or 1939, but my Great-Grandfather came to the decision that it was Now or Never! It was time for him and his family to escape Nazi Germany before the Holocaust began.

It must have been an extremely difficult decision for Karl to make. Knowing only the German Language, he did what had to be done to buy tickets for his family to move to America, an English speaking Country. I guess that the only choices in front of him were “Life in a Foreign country with a Foreign Language” or almost certain Death.

So with that, Karl sold whatever belongings he had to, took whatever belongings he could, and purchased boat tickets for his family, including my Grandpa Paul Mendels, to the “Land of the Free” – America. However, Fate/Destiny/Divine Providence had a different plan in mind…

When they arrive at the dock there was no ship to America to be found. Apparently they arrived too early and their ship would only be arriving a few weeks later. But with a snap of quick thinking, my Great-Grandfather Karl Mendels headed for the ship which would be leaving next..Destination: Sydney, Australia!

And so Karl and his family arrived in Sydney, not where they planned and not where they intended. But safe and far from Nazi Germany and the beginning of the Holocaust,and I guess that’s what was important. However with little or no English, and the inability to work as the cattle-trader that he was, Karl was forced to resort to other means to provide for his family. And so, in 1939 he found a small confectionery shop being sold in the well-known Strand Arcade in the heart of Sydney’s Central Business District (CBD), and thus came about our family business – The Nut Shop.

At that time, my Grandpa Paul was but a small boy, I think he was 11 years old. He grew up under the wings of his father in the small shop producing and selling their well-known Vienna Almonds, and eventually Paul continued and took ownership of the business for himself.

When you stop and think about all the events that had to take place for Karl and his family to arrive in Sydney, Australia, you can’t help but admit that it HAD to have been more than just CHANCE!  Think about what the environment must have been like in Germany at the time, the difficult decision of leaving other family members and friends behind in search of a safe haven. Being faced with the cross road of either risking more time in Germany while waiting for the boat to America, or not thinking twice and jumping on the next boat to leave no matter where it goes.  And then battling with a foreign language while trying to run a business and raise a family. All this while knowing that back in Germany there was a Holocaust taking place with Millions of Jews being slaughtered..

Times back then were not easy at all!  It’s really easy to see the Miracles that took place and all the “chances” or “coincidences” that played but small pieces in a much larger puzzle.

I will continue this.. talking a bit about my Grandpa and my parents, and then I’ll arrive at talking about myself.

I hope to see you following and please feel free to comment below!