Yom Hashoah 2026: A Reporter’s Shocking Discovery and an Auschwitz Miracle
During a March of the Living lecture in Poland, Israeli journalist Josh Aronson discovered that the speaker’s father was the Dutch Underground hero who saved his grandfather’s life. A stunning story of "closing the circle" 81 years after the Holocaust.
A routine reporting assignment at the 2026 March of the Living turned into a breathtaking historical "closing of a circle" for Maariv journalist Josh Aronson. While listening to the testimony of Holocaust survivor Hannah Yakin, Aronson realized that Yakin’s father was the very man responsible for saving his grandfather's life.
A Connection Revealed in Real-Time
Yakin was recounting the heroic actions of her father, Jan van Hulst, a member of the Dutch Underground. She detailed how he forged identification papers and smuggled Jews to safety under the shadow of the Nazi occupation.
As the specific details of the forged documents and rescue operations emerged, Aronson realized they mirrored the survival story passed down through his own family. He approached Yakin and her family after the lecture to reveal the staggering connection: "Your father is the reason my family exists today."
The Legacy of Jan van Hulst
Jan van Hulst is recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations. During the war, he operated out of Amsterdam, famously smuggling children out of a nursery located across from the "Hollandsche Schouwburg" (the Dutch Theater), which served as a deportation center. Through his bravery, hundreds of Jewish lives, including Aronson's grandfather, were spared.
"A Living Legacy"
For Aronson, the discovery is deeply personal and follows a period of immense family grief. Aronson, who survived the Manchester Arena terror attack and recently lost his cousin, Eli Shelang, in the Bondi terror attack, viewed the meeting as a sign of resilience.
"For me, meeting Hannah Yakin is much more than a professional encounter; it is a profound historical closure," Aronson said. "My grandfather was an extraordinary man. After everything my family has been through recently, this feels like a direct message from him that despite the pain and bereavement, we must never stop building."
The encounter took place as part of the 2026 March of the Living, an annual educational program that brings thousands to Poland to study the Holocaust and ensure the promise of "Never Again."