Elise Hawthorne
Happiness, as a state of mind, is infectious. Not like an infectious disease, more like a contagious at-ease.
Eddie Jaku is one of those people that infect friends and strangers alike with large doses of at-ease. He reminds us all to celebrate life, to be happy, to be at one with each other, to be at ease with the world – it’s as simple as that.
By all accounts, Eddie has a million reasons as to why his positive attitude could have taken a darker path. Through extreme hardships, he has developed great wisdom. Eddie is the wise man of any tribe, and Sydneysiders are lucky he lives amongst us. You see, Eddie shares his happiness around and in doing so teaches us all valuable life lessons along the way.
Eddie Jaku OAM was born Abraham Jakubowicz in Leipzig, Germany on April 14, 1920. He was deported to Buchenwald in November 1938 and was incarcerated in camps in Belgium and France from 1939-1941. He was deported to hell on earth, Auschwitz, in 1942. In 1945, Eddie was sent on a ‘death march’ but escaped and hid in a forest eating slugs and snails until June 1945 when he was finally rescued, alive, but only just.
During WW2 Eddie could have easily died many times. Throughout all that he endured during those unbelievably horrific times, Eddie demonstrated his strength of character, his steadfast ability to persevere and his innate streets smarts, which undoubtedly kept him alive.
For many years, Eddie has lived his life in service to others. It wasn’t also so. Post WW2, Eddie was alive, but he wanted to shut himself away from the world, retreat, and who could blame him. Miraculously, after the birth of his first child Michael in 1948, his heavy heart was healed. Eddie promised himself that from that day forward, he would live his life as a happy person, one who was always polite and importantly, became a man who smiled. Eddie learnt that he had a lot to be happy about. He’d been blessed with life – his own, his child’s and blessed with the love of a good woman, his wife of 73 years, Flore.
Eddie has important messages to share. Life lessons hard-earned which we all could take on board. His tips for living a long and productive life are easy to follow – “be happy and enjoy what you have.” He firmly believes that “tomorrow will come, but first enjoy today.”
The qualities Eddie most admires in a person are honesty and reliability.
Sometimes it is the simple lessons that are the most moving, especially coming from a man who had suffered so much at the hands of fellow humans. Eddy remarked, “I do not hate anyone. Hate is a disease which may destroy your enemy, but it will also destroy you in the process.” Eddie is asking us all to create our own happy lives, firmly believing that, “happiness doesn’t fall from the sky; it is in your hands.”
I asked a few people of all ages what they would like to ask Eddie.
Q: What toys did you have when you were a little boy? Jarvis Segal aged 6
A: I had a beautiful bicycle; my dad added a small electric motor which made it very special. I also had a chess set that my dad gave me.
Q. What was your school like when you were a teenager? James Hawthorne aged 18
A. At age 13, I went to a technical college boarding school 800 kilometres from home. I had to live under a false name (Walter Schleif) to hide the fact that I was a Jew. It was a tough life as we worked in a mechanical engineering factory during the day then attended school from 4pm – 9pm, with lights out at 9.15pm. We slept 20 boys per dormitory, and I didn’t see my parents for many years.
Q. Your story, and how you have persevered through everything that you endured, is just so incredibly inspiring. What would be your greatest advice for people who are going through a difficult time in their life? Anna Apps – mid 20s
A. Don’t give up. Where there is life, there is hope. Hope is not for sale – you have to create it.
Q. What do you think the world has learnt from the Holocaust, and what do we still need to learn? Henry Roth, author, Stories I Told My Son – 50s.
A. The world has learnt nothing. I fear we are not progressing that we are going backwards. We need to learn to be kind and to be flexible. We need to have meaningful conversations with each other.
Eddie has volunteered at the Sydney Jewish Museum since its inception in 1992. Self-proclaimed as ‘the happiest man on earth’, his enduring legacy to humanity is that he aims to make the world a better place by sharing his message of happiness with all he meets. He is a man who understands the importance of friendship.
“A single rose can be my garden
A single good friend, my world.”
Eddie has been married to Flore for 73 years. They have two sons Michael and Andre, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who will gather around this marvellous man to help him celebrate his 100th birthday on 14th April 2020. Many people Eddie has met along his life journey will also be wishing him a happy birthday and smile at the mere mention of his name. We need more Eddie’s in this world.
This article was first published in Keeping In Touch magazine www.jewishcare.com.au
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