Yom HaShoah 2015: Israelis Fear Another Holocaust as Survivors Remain in Misery, Shows Study

As the Jewish community is set to observe Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust and Heroism Remembrance Day on Wednesday evening going up to Thursday to remember the six million victims of the Nazi holocaust, the survivors are still living in misery, while many Israelis fear a repeat. 

The annual study by the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel has shown some extremely grim findings this year, with nearly half of the Israelis surveyed, believing that another holocaust is possible. 

Here are some of the grim numbers to put in perspective the significance of the Holocaust Remembrance Day and the current state of the survivors:

• About 30% of the 1,89,000 Holocaust survivors in Israel live below the poverty line.
• 46% of Israelis feel that the Holocaust can happen again, higher than the 41% in the previous year, given the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in the recent months. 
• 21% rise in anti-semtism acts was seen in 2014 compared to the previous year, with 912 such incidents recorded by The Anti-Defamation League. 
• 46% of survivors feel that the future generations will forget about the Holocaust after their demise. The average age of the survivors is 83 years. 
• Forty Holocaust survivors are dying each day, on an average of 14,200 every year.
• 78% of survivors suffer from health problems.
• 36% of the survivors live alone, and 45% said they feel lonely. 
• 27% of the survivors could not afford to even heat their homes during winter.