Several years ago, 34-year-old Evan Rosenberg received a Hanukkah card in the mail from his grandmother. In it, he learned that the address of both his home and his office, 333, had an extreme significance in his family's history.
"When Nazi soldiers came in and took them to the concentration camps, the kids were held back. My great-aunt held up three fingers signaling that you're going to find your great grandfather at 333 Seventh Ave.," he says.
After having the number 333 pop up numerous times in his life, Rosenberg says he took it as a sign and founded
333 Charity to support Holocaust survivors.
"I hate to say it but eventually there won't be any Holocaust survivors left and now is the time to really let them know that we appreciate what they went through and the stories they are leaving behind and it really is an inspiration,” said Rosenberg.
All the money the nonprofit receives through merchandise sales, fundraisers, and donations is sent over to the UJA Federation of New York. This is to provide meals for Holocaust survivors at or below the poverty level.
"In November they were 40,000 Holocaust survivors, about a month ago there were 36,000 Holocaust survivors and now with COVID the goal really is to keep them all the survivors in the house,” said Rosenberg.
The local entrepreneur is turning a number significant in his family's survival into an organization that is giving back to those who suffered the unimaginable, paved the way for Jewish people today, and can help ensure history doesn't repeat itself.
"To give them a sense of a feeling that they are not alone that people all know what they went to, we are still here for them, we are still standing by their side if they need anything or they need help,” said Rosenberg.
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