Of blessed memory
Among his many lessons for life, Benjamin Ferencz wrote “First never give up, second never give up and third never give up.” Benjamin Ferencz of blessed memory passed away yesterday on April 7th at the grand age of 103.
I have never had the honor of personally meeting Ben, only through his video interviews and his book Parting Words do I know him. As the individual, Ben embodied the virtues of character that one would use to describe an exemplary human being. In Hebrew and Ladino in fact, he was a true Ben Adam, a worthy being.
Ben is the first focus article for the series I have titled “Role Model Worthy Heroes.” This will form a collection of writings on the lessons of individuals who really lived for more, stood by selfless values against the tide of various political, social and other adversities. Individuals whose lives serve as inspirations to grow and evolve by.
Meet Benjamin Ferencz
Benjamin Ferencz was born in March of 1920 in Transylvania, a country that no longer exists. Ben’s story is, I really don’t know how to begin to describe it.
Ben’s is not a rags to riches story. It is the story of coming from humble beginnings, working hard and never backing down from doing the right thing. The Ferencz family immigrated from Transylvania to New York when Ben was a small child. Growing up in a boiler room basement apartment in Hell’s Kitchen, Ben developed a love early on in life for justice and learning. After he made his way through Harvard Law School he enlisted in the US Army and crossed the Atlantic to join the fight against Nazi Germany.
Following the end of World War II, Ben was tasked with collecting evidence of the Nazi war crimes and numerical extent of people murdered in the Holocaust. That mission grew in size and he went on to become the chief prosecutor for the US Army in the Einsatzgruppen Trial of the Nuremburg Trials. Later he became the primary influencer for the formation of the International Criminal Court and much more. To gain a broader appreciation for his legacy please visit his personal website.
Ben lived a richly altruistic life in which he worked and lobbied for the rule of law, application of justice and mediation to replace a war filled world with a new modern-humanitarian approach. If you have not already, please take the time to read his book Parting Words written in 2020. It is a short collection of stories Ben recounts about his life as a series of lessons to live one’s life by. It touching, inspiring, powerful and above all emphasizes the virtue of responsibility of self.
To give an idea, the following is the lesson list taken from Parting Words – 9 Lessons For A Remarkable Life (2020):
Ben’s 9 Lessons For A Remarkable Life
On Dreams: You don’t have to follow the crowd
On Education: Learn where you are
On Circumstances: Lift yourself by your own bootstraps
On Life: The path is always bumpy, never straight
On Principles: Choose to be good
On Truth: Always speak yours, even if no one’s listening
On Love: There are more important things than saving the world
On Stamina: Push the rock a little further up the hill
On the Future: Weather eye on the horizon, hands on the wheel
Parting words to you Ben
Ben, thank you for all the beautiful and selfless work you dedicated your life to. The world has been a richer place because of you. May the world be an even richer place as your lessons are spread and learned since your recent passing. Zikhrono levrakha, may your memory be a blessing.
