95-year-old Holocaust survivor in SoCal hopes his story impacts younger generation

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- Many of students who listened to David Lenga's story of imprisonment and hope at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Monday are about the same age he was when he survived the Holocaust.

"Honestly, I can't imagine going through something like that," said student Carolina Finkbeiner. "I feel like, he was really brave and strong to go through all of that, and to just like to make it through and experience like, what he went through."

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute hosted more than 1,000 Los Angeles-area students for an educational event to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Lenga, a 95-year old Holocaust survivor, joined them.

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Speakers noted this year's commemoration comes at a time when hate crimes targeting Jewish people are rising.

He was imprisoned at Auschwitz and was 11 years old living in Poland when the Holocaust began, narrowly escaping being murdered, but suddenly experiencing devastating grief.

"I became very, very despondent because I knew now, I'm a total orphan," he said. "I lost my mom, my dad, my brother ... everybody I loved is gone from my life."

The 95-year-old is now a grandfather and great-grandfather who eventually built a life in Southern California and often shares his life story with students.

"What worries me at this time is the realization that when I speak to these young generations, there is such a high level of ignorance about the Holocaust," he said. "That it is alarming."

The students visited a new exhibition at the library and museum titled "Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away." The exhibition features more than 700 artifacts and more than 400 photographs.

"The main lender actually is the Auschwitz Birkenau Museum itself and it's the story mainly of Auschwitz, but it's really the rise of the Nazi party," explained Melissa Giller, a spokesperson for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

Lenga hopes his story resonates with those listen.

"My story, as riveting as it is, is merely a microcosm of the larger tragedy," he said. "You have to multiply my experiences at 6 million times to realize the depth of the tragedy of the Holocaust."