Triumph of Hope:
A Film Featuring the Faith, Fortitude, and Conviction of Holocaust Survivors
This deeply moving documentary presents a remarkable narrative of faith under fire—illuminating the spiritual strength that carried Holocaust survivors not only through the darkest of times but empowered them to rebuild vibrant families and communities after losing everything.
Culled from in-depth conversations with over a dozen survivors, conducted by Rabbi Mendel Kaplan in the spring of 2012, Triumph of Hope explores the unifying thread that sustained Jews through the horrors of the Shoah. With no preconceived notions, Rabbi Kaplan approached these men and women—representing a wide cross-section of Eastern European Jewry—simply asking them to share. Rather than fitting their testimony into a prewritten narrative, award-winning filmmaker Ezra Krybus (Hidden Light Films) built the film entirely around their authentic voices.
What emerged was startling. Like many, Rabbi Kaplan had assumed the dominant theme would be shattered faith and feelings of divine abandonment—what he now calls the “Holocaust-survivor myth.” Instead, he discovered the opposite: survivors spoke of an inexplicable deepening of their connection to G-d, a strengthened Jewish identity, and an enduring bond with their fellow Jews. Each one affirmed that—even in the valley of death—G-d’s presence was palpable, and their suffering only heightened their awareness of belonging to an eternal people.
Interweaving raw survivor testimony, fascinating personal stories, and a rare archival clip of the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—speaking about the Holocaust, the film presents a tapestry of resilience and sacred remembrance.
Triumph of Hope is more than a documentary. It is an unforgettable journey into the souls of men and women who refused to relinquish faith, who chose to hope, and who carried the eternal flame of the Jewish people forward.
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