In September 2022, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger visited the Auschwitz Nazi death camp for the first time. His trip to Poland made international headlines for many reasons, including the fact that during World War Two (WWII) the Austrian-born Schwarzenegger’s father was a member of the Nazi party. A tireless anti-prejudice campaigner, Schwarzenegger’s mission and message were nearly identical, his commitment to fighting prejudice and hate. What most people don’t know about the trip is that Schwarzenegger, 75, was accompanied by USCC Chaplain Jack Simony.
Simony, a board member of USCC and a board member of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation (AJCF), shared his story with Pulse.
The Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation
Since May 2020, Simony has been a board member of the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation, located in Oświęcim (Auschwitz), Poland. AJCF is a non-governmental organization (NGO) and cultural training center that exists to serve as a guardian of Jewish memory, as well as to educate the public about the Holocaust. The Center is affiliated with the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York, USA.
Prior to WWII, the town of Oświęcim was about 65% Jewish, with the vast majority murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. In 1989, after the fall of communism in the region, a group of Jews went to Poland and tracked down the last standing synagogue in the region and decided to buy and restore it. The group also created a museum attached to the synagogue as well as creating a cultural training center. “This has to be a living organization. Simony said. “We have to take the lessons of the past to teach the future. That has to be the goal. If we can do that, then we’re doing something to change the world.” One of the organization’s primary methods of accomplishing that is through international educational programs held on its campus in Poland.
Educating the Next Generation of Leaders
One of the programs Simony —the grandchild of Holocaust survivors — is most proud of is The American Service Academies Program a 16-day educational initiative in Poland for a select group of cadets and midshipmen from the academies for the U.S. Military, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. The program has hundreds of applicants each year with only 16 accepted. Simony said this year the program would be able to accommodate 22 applicants. “We hope the program creates anti-hate advocates for life,” Simony said. “It’s a very special program. We believe it’s an investment for the future; for our kids and grandkids.” It’s a mission Arnold Schwarzenegger shares.
Involving Arnold Schwarzenegger
Simony said AJCF heard that Arnold Schwarzenegger talks “aggressively about anti-hate, antisemitism, marginalization. He’s been doing this for years. We told him that we want to highlight all the work he’s been doing over the years. And it’s not always been such a popular statement. Often when someone makes a statement about antisemitism it faces silence.” AJCF wanted to award Schwarzenegger’s efforts, but the award came with a single condition, Schwarzenegger would have to visit a concentration camp for the first time.
When AJCF first reached out to Schwarzenegger, Simony said “he was very humble.” Schwarzenegger said to Simony “I’ve never been given such an award, much less by a Jewish organization.” Simony told him this was all the more reason to unite to fight hate.
On the trip to Auschwitz, Schwarzenegger connected deeply with AJCF’s Chairman of the Board, Simon Bergson. Both of Bergson’s parents were prisoners in Auschwitz and actually met in Auschwitz. Bergson and Schwarzenegger were both born in Austria, about 100 miles apart and in incredibly different circumstances. Schwarzenegger told Simony that he barely knew his own father.
Joining Forces to Combat Hate
About 200 journalists covered the Auschwitz visit. Simony acknowledges that the trip with Schwarzenegger could not have happened without the significant help of the Polish government, and especially Adrian Kubicki, the Polish Counsel General. Simony paraphrased some of Schwarzenegger’s speech to attendees, given from the synagogue at Auschwitz.
Look at where Simon Bergson was born. I was born 100 miles away in Austria. He was born in a DP (displaced persons) camp the child of survivors I was born the child of Nazis. Here we are in a shul together finding a way to combat hate, much like in the 1930s when you had small groups combatting antisemitism. We’re hearing the drumbeats now. We must stand together now.
Simony said “The whole point of the Auschwitz Jewish Center is to create allies. To have teachers get trained. It creates allies by getting police trained. To speak out about what happened. We’re not meant to be a monument in the sand. We’re not even meant to be for this generation.” Instead of focusing on the horrors of the past, Simony hopes to create allies for future generations.
Creating Allies for a Better Future
“My grandparents always said the world will forget,” Simony said. “I didn’t realize how right they were.” Simony spoke about the current rise in antisemitism with dismay, though he is hopeful of AJCF’s educational programs at Auschwitz. “Today I work harder than ever to create allies and advocates. It’s more important than ever to increase the allies – cadets, teachers, and celebrities that can amplify the message. It’s all about protecting the future generations.” That sense of hope is a great part of Simony’s work as a chaplain.
Simony said about the chaplaincy, “It helps pull together a purpose. It focuses you on doing something greater than yourself. And if you can focus on doing something greater than you, other people become attracted to that. If they believe that what you’re doing is to help others, they want to help, whether it’s Arnold Schwarzenegger or the fellow next door.”