Kushner’s Torch: Novogrudok 1943 to October 7, 2023
An open letter to Mr. Jared Kushner
I am Sharon Steinbaum, born, raised, and educated in Israel. Like you, I am a third-generation Holocaust descendant.
I was deeply moved watching the vigil at Hostage Square in Tel Aviv last night. Hearing your emotional words, alongside those of Mr. Witcof and your wife Ivanka, brought me back to the Novogrudok descendants I know—Jews who, like your grandmother Raya Kushner, dared the unimaginable: Jews rescuing Jews in the darkest hour of our history.
Your grandmother’s escape through the 682-foot tunnel in 1943 remains one of the most courageous moments in Jewish history. Her act of defiance was more than survival; it was a testament to faith — to the enduring spirit of our people.
Eighty years later, you carry her legacy forward. In the face of the worst attack Israel has known since the Holocaust, your efforts to rescue Jews in danger continue her mission — Jews saving Jews, generation after generation, reminding us that the Jewish story is one of both pain and perseverance.
What President Trump led, with your quiet and steadfast involvement, will forever be written in the pages of Jewish and Israeli history. In this chapter, you have carried forward your grandmother’s torch — the belief that when Jews stand together, we survive.
I thank you, from one survivor’s granddaughter to another, for your heart, your courage, and your devotion to our people.
With deep respect,
Sharon Steinbaum
Haifa, Israel
