Benjamin Meed died on October 24, 2006. He was 88 years old. I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Meed in 1983 during the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors in Washington, D.C.

This man turned my life around, because up to that time I had lived with a guilty feeling � why did I survive?

Benjamin encouraged me to speak for the 6 million Jews who did not survive and to be proud of my achievements; to stop being silent about my past.

Benjamin Meed made Holocaust survivors walk tall and share their experiences with others. His energy helped to build the foundation for the future generations to carry on the legacy of the Holocaust survivors through education and commemoration of the Holocaust for generations to come. He was very instrumental in building the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City.

As I put a shovel of dirt on his coffin with tears in my eyes, I know that the work that Benjamin Meed started will continue and live on because he was a giant and inspiration to those who knew him, and we will remember �Never again, never again.�

Sandra and I and the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center extend our sincere condolences to his wife Vladka and his family.

Henry Friedman

Seattle