Abeles, who was born in Vác, Hungary, in 1924, saw his childhood cut short when Nazi Germany invaded Hungary in March 1944. He and his brother were sent to forced labor, while most of their family was deported to Auschwitz and murdered.
After the war, Abeles reunited with his brother and sister and immigrated to what was then British Mandatory Palestine in 1946, traveling through Yugoslavia. He later joined the Haganah, the pre-state Jewish defense force, and fought in Israel’s War of Independence as a member of the Alexandroni Brigade. He also served in subsequent Israeli wars.
“For all my years here, I only wanted to give a voice — even a small one — to those who didn’t survive,” Abeles said during the celebration at Yad Vashem. “I gave them back their voices. Now it’s your turn to continue our work — to remember, to tell, and to pass the story on.”
Abeles spent more than two decades volunteering in Yad Vashem’s historical archives, where he labeled and organized materials and assisted visitors searching for information about the Holocaust.
To mark his centennial, Yad Vashem staff surprised him with a tour of its collections facility and a birthday celebration that included a cake, emotional speeches and hugs.
“Moshe lived through the horrors of the Holocaust, immigrated to Israel, fought in its wars, built a full life, and then chose to spend 35 years volunteering at Yad Vashem to preserve Holocaust memory for future generations,” said Dani Dayan, chairman of Yad Vashem, who attended the event.
“Moshe, as part of a vanishing generation of survivors, embodies humility and endless dedication,” Dayan said. “We are deeply grateful for your work and for the stories you shared.”
Abeles said that after all he experienced, his work at Yad Vashem gave him a sense of mission.
“I was able, in some small way, to return voices to those who were murdered,” he said. “Now it’s your turn.”
