“Chazak we'ematz! Be strong and brave!"
It is with profound sorrow that we mourn the passing of Marian Turski, a Holocaust survivor, historian, journalist, and former Chairman of the ELNET CEE Advisory Board. He left us on February 18, 2025, at the age of 98, leaving behind an indelible legacy of wisdom, compassion, and moral clarity.
Marian was a true example of humanity—a man of deep conviction, generosity, and solidarity.
Marian taught us common sense and reason, urging restraint in hasty judgments and a deep commitment to understanding issues in their full complexity.
He was an ambassador of true conversation—the kind where persuasion was secondary to mutual enlightenment, where dialogue did not demand victory but encouraged wisdom on both sides.
He taught us patience in disagreement, the art of seeking common ground even with those who held opposing views.
He taught us that kindness and empathy are not signs of weakness, but rather the foundation upon which meaningful consensus is built.
Through his own generosity, he showed us how to give—not just materially, but through attention, time, advice, and the warmth of his words. He often shared anecdotes, believing that humor and perspective were essential in navigating life’s complexities, though never at the cost of losing sight of the world’s urgent moral imperatives.
Following the October 7 attacks, he reminded us that words alone are not enough. In a gesture of profound commitment, he declared:
“Dear friends, words are very important, but maybe some tangible commitment is also important. So, I hereby declare: From the day after tomorrow, from November 1, for the next year, every month I will pay tithe from my pension to Israel.”
Shaped by his lived experience, Marian understood that humanity’s greatest treasure is solidarity. This was the lesson he fought tirelessly to impart, and his powerful words on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau remain a call to conscience:
“Do not be indifferent. Because if you are, before you know it, an Auschwitz, some Auschwitz, will suddenly fall from the sky onto you and your descendants.”
These words, often referred to as the Eleventh Commandment, were the message and the warning he left for us, those who had the honor of listening to him. As he once recalled, his father, who was later murdered in Auschwitz, taught him two Hebrew words—the commandment of the pioneers in Israel:
“Chazak ve’ematz! Be strong and brave!”
Dear Marian, we are grateful for the journey we shared, for all your wisdom and courage. We will uphold the Eleventh Commandment in our daily work and mission, ensuring that indifference will never replace responsibility.
Marian Turski (born Moshe Turbowicz) was a Holocaust survivor, a Polish historian, journalist, and a social activist. Born in 1926 in Druskininkai, he spent part of World War II in the Łódź Ghetto before being deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. After the war, Turski dedicated his life to commemorating the Holocaust and educating future generations. For many years, he was an editor at the weekly news magazine Polityka and served as the chairman of the Council of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Since 2020 he guided the ELNET CEE Advisory Board. He was an active participant in Poland’s social and cultural life, engaging in efforts to preserve memory and uphold human rights. His work played a crucial role in Holocaust education and combating modern-day intolerance.