The foundation’s ambitious goal is to provide 100 survivors with not just hearing aids but lifetime care and support through their Gift of Sound program.
The gentle murmur of conversation filled Brooklyn’s Palace Hall this past week as elderly Holocaust survivors came seeking something precious – the chance to hear their grandchildren’s voices clearly again.
Through a groundbreaking program by the Miracle-Ear Foundation, these Holocaust survivors are finally receiving the hearing aids that many have gone without for years.
“Sadly, 80 years after the end of the Holocaust, many of the few remaining Holocaust survivors live in poverty and cannot afford hearing aids. Hearing loss significantly impairs their quality of life, emotional and social wellbeing,” explains Jack Simony, who heads the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation (AJCF).
AJCF joined forces with the Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island and the Claims Conference to identify survivors most in need of hearing assistance.
Since 1990, the Miracle-Ear Foundation has provided over 48,000 hearing aids to those in need. The foundation’s ambitious goal is to provide 100 survivors with not just hearing aids but lifetime care and support through their Gift of Sound program.
“We are honored to work with these community partners to provide free hearing aids to restore hearing and improve the lives of these Survivors through the gift of sound,” said Jenni Hargraves, Executive Director of the Miracle-Ear Foundation.
“These hearing aids will be life-changing and allow individuals to better communicate with their families, friends and loved ones.”
The timing of Miracle-Ear’s initiative carries deep meaning. As International Holocaust Remembrance Day approaches and the world marks 80 years since the Liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, clear hearing represents more than just improved communication for survivors who endured history’s darkest chapter.
It restores dignity and connection to a world that once tried to silence them completely.