May 19, 1943 – Moshe Flinker

Moshe Flinker wrote “I have written several times about a question that has been bothering me for some time; namely, what will I be when I am on my own, which I imagine will be in about five or six years.” Moshe was a deeply religious young man who wrote with great feeling and insight about the persecution he faced living in German-occupied Belgium. His diary began in November, 1942 when he was sixteen, and continued until September 1943. Eight months later, he and his family were sent to Auschwitz. He did not survive.

Moshe’s diary is about much more than the daily hardships he faced under Nazi tyranny. He wrote about his religious ideals, his philosophy of life, and his struggle to discern the meaning of the events that engulfed him. Though he struggled with despair, the act of writing showed that he was still concerned with the future and that he had not given up hope. In the end, his diary is testimony to the strength of his spirit in the face of oppression.

Read more about Moshe Flinker.