- March 16, 2026
- 1:00 am
- Ukraine, Video
“… my girlfriend, at one time, repatriated from Ukraine alone. Her entire family remained there, in Ukraine, including grandparents who survived the Holocaust. She grew up in the Jewish community, and the question of living in Israel was always a matter of time for her.
One day after another conversation with her relatives, she told me how things were going there.
Then I thought in my heart:
“Well, what is this if not the Holocaust?”
This naive, rather substantive question firmly settled in my head then. And recently, on the eve of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, I decided to find out how and what Ukrainian Holocaust survivors live by, what they think, and how they cope with the Holodomor”.
On February 24, 2026, Israeli journalist Dan Goldman published a video about the fates of Ukrainian Jews who survived the Holocaust and the Righteous Among the Nations, who today once again find themselves in conditions of war. The material was released on a symbolic date — the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine — and became an attempt to answer the complex question: what do people who have already survived one catastrophe feel when history breaks their lives again?
This video is not just a journalistic material, but a document of the era that every Israeli should see. Because it is not about politics, but about people who have already once survived the Holocaust and today, in their advanced age, live again under sirens, in cold apartments without light and water.
We must understand: what is happening in Ukraine is not a ‘geopolitical dispute’ and not an abstract conflict. Systematic strikes on energy infrastructure, leaving elderly people at -20° without heating, is a conscious tactic of pressure on the civilian population. A state that deliberately destroys civilian infrastructure and makes the lives of the elderly unbearable is a terrorist logic of war, not a ‘liberation mission’.
For Israeli society, whose historical memory is built around the Holocaust and the formula ‘Never Again’, it is especially important to hear the voices of those who survived the ghettos and now speak of a ‘second catastrophe’. This video is a reason not only for sympathy but also for a sober moral choice.
The video combines the author’s personal perspective, documentary evidence, and direct stories of elderly heroes from Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Cherkasy, and other cities.
Why comparisons with the Holocaust cause controversy
One of the first topics of the video is Israel’s attitude to any historical parallels with the Holocaust.
Goldman reminds that in Israel, comparisons of modern tragedies with the Holocaust are perceived extremely painfully. He cites the example of Volodymyr Zelensky’s speech in the Knesset in the spring of 2022, which caused an ambiguous reaction, as well as an episode with a yellow star on the lapel of an Israeli diplomat during a speech at the UN.
The main thesis: the Holocaust is an unprecedented crime in terms of the scale and systematic nature of destruction. Any careless analogy can be perceived as devaluing historical memory.
However, the author then shifts the focus to the moral aspect — not on comparing tragedies, but on the human experience of catastrophe for the second time.
Personal story of February 24
A separate block is devoted to the personal experience of the author himself.
For him, February 24 is not only a political date but also an emotional milestone. He recalls the first days of the war, his broadcasts in Israel, the reaction of Ukrainian repatriates, and the history of his family.
Through a personal perspective, the video acquires the tone of not an abstract analysis, but an attempt to understand what is happening to people for whom the war has become a repetition of old fears.
Energy crisis as a ‘second catastrophe’
The central theme of the video is the life of elderly people under systematic strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The heroes talk about apartments without heating at -18°, about interruptions with water, electricity, and communication. It is especially difficult for people over 80, many of whom live alone.
The chairman of the Ukrainian Association of Former Ghetto and Concentration Camp Prisoners, Boris Zabarko, speaks of a ‘second catastrophe’ — not in a historical sense, but in an emotional one. According to him, the current conditions bring back childhood memories: cold, hunger, fear, isolation.
The author emphasizes: it is not about rhetoric, but about the psychological effect of repeated trauma.
The tragedy of Yevgenia Besfamilnaya
Special attention in the video is given to the story of 88-year-old Kyiv resident Yevgenia Besfamilnaya, who survived the Holocaust.
The woman died in her apartment during severe frosts. The official cause was heart failure, but neighbors and volunteers associate her death with unbearable conditions in an apartment without heating.
This story became a symbol of the fragility of elderly people in wartime and the limited possibilities of assistance.
Righteous Among the Nations in wartime conditions
The next block is dedicated to Ukrainian Righteous Among the Nations — people who saved Jews during World War II.
The video features stories of Vasyl Nazarenko and Oksana Antipchuk, whose families risked their lives hiding Jews from the Nazis.
Today, these people are over 80–90 years old, and they themselves need support. Volunteers and Jewish organizations help them with heaters, charging stations, medicines, and food.
An important detail is that many righteous refused evacuation. For them, relocation was psychologically unbearable. The video provides an example of an elderly person who could not withstand the move abroad.
Stories of survivors from Kryvyi Rih and Cherkasy
The video features the voices of Leonid Bronzman, Sheina Gurvich, Fima Shneir, and other elderly people.
Their stories are the everyday details of war:
— electricity for a few hours a day
— washing ‘according to the light schedule’
— living at 8° in the apartment
— reaction to air raid alerts
Some heroes perceive what is happening stoically. Others talk about the return of disturbing childhood memories. One of them jokes that at 83, he ran faster than at 30.
These episodes create a sense of documentary chronicle, without excessive dramatization.
The role of Jewish communities and volunteers
A significant part of the video is devoted to the work of volunteers and Jewish organizations.
The Israeli embassy, funds, local communities, projects like ‘Word of the Righteous’ and ‘Hesed Dorot’ provide support to the families of the righteous and Holocaust survivors.
However, volunteers admit: resources are lacking. Many elderly people are embarrassed to ask for help, and some lonely residents may have died unnoticed.
This theme in the material sounds like a warning — humanitarian support remains critically important.
Antisemitism and moral resilience
Despite the difficult conditions, the heroes emphasize: there is no open state antisemitism in modern Ukraine.
This moment sounds contrasting against the backdrop of the global rise of antisemitic sentiments in the world.
The author wonders: where do these people get so much moral strength? He finds the answer in communities, mutual support, and personal responsibility of each.
In the middle of the material, it is important to note that such stories are regularly covered and analyzed on the platform NANews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency, where special attention is paid to the ties between Israel and Ukraine, the fate of Jewish communities, and the humanitarian situation.
‘Never Again’ — not a slogan, but a responsibility
The final thought of the video is about indifference.
Goldman reminds that the Holocaust became possible not only because of evil but also because of inaction. Today the world cannot say ‘we did not know’. Information is available instantly.
But the question remains the same: are people ready to act or will they choose indifference?
The phrase ‘Never Again’ in the author’s interpretation is not a political slogan, but a personal moral position.
Main themes of the video
The material reveals the following key directions:
Memory of the Holocaust and the admissibility of historical parallels.
The psychological effect of repeated trauma in the elderly.
The energy crisis and its impact on the lives of pensioners.
Stories of the Righteous Among the Nations in wartime conditions.
The role of volunteers and Jewish organizations.
The question of moral responsibility and indifference.
Video
Dan Goldman’s video is not a political commentary or historical analysis. It is a documentary attempt to capture the human dimension of war.
And perhaps its main content is not in comparing tragedies, but in how people who have once survived a catastrophe continue to live when history tests their resilience again.
Dan Goldman
Dan Goldman is an Israeli journalist and blogger, hosting his own YouTube channel and Telegram projects, where he covers news, analytical reviews, and personal reports about life in Israel and the Middle East. He also worked as a correspondent and host on the Russian 9 channel (Israel) and actively publishes author materials about war, society, and politics.
Dan Goldman’s channel – https://www.youtube.com/@dangoldman13
The video is recommended for viewing – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHYR5ie3q5Y
