Local woman returns home from Jerusalem

Back in April, we first brought you the story of a Sibylle Heidrich, a Long Beach resident who escaped Nazi Germany and decades later made it her mission to travel to Jerusalem to apologize on behalf of her native country, for her homeland’s role in the killing of millions of Jews and others years ago.
This dream became a reality. Today, she shared her experience with us, just days after her return.
“I said only once, I would like to really go to Israel and people said why? Why would you do it? Well, I said I want to apologize for what Germany did to the Jews.”
That’s just what Sibylle Heidrich did, thanks to a local non-profit Fatherless and Widows, led by Charles Wambolt. A survivor of Nazi Germany herself after her father refused to join the Nazi Party, “I lost, actually, my father in a Russian concentration camp,” said Sibylle.
Heidrich made it to Jerusalem in May, fulfilling her lifelong desire to apologize to the Jewish people. The little girl who managed to safely escape Germany during the Second World War shared her story decades later with Jews in Jerusalem. She found, despite their different backgrounds, they shared much in common, all surviving persecution in different ways. “I took part in this and we went from one place to another and whenever I had a chance I said something and you know, I hope it reaches the right people. It was a public meeting, they just thanked me.”
Heidrich travelled through Jerusalem for 12 days with the Christian group The March of Life, seeing first hand why this part of the world is called The Holy Land. “It’s so different. I said, ‘oh my golly, thank you God’s country.’ I thanked God every day for being there and that’s where he planted his son and you know many don’t realize Jesus was a Jew.”
Making her 90th birthday one Heidrich will never forget. “Yeah, my golly. I’m an old crazy woman. They had a very nice surprise party for me.”
“I’m deeply grateful that I made it and I thank God every day that I made it in good health,” said Heidrich, “You know, I walk like a drunk who’s out drinking anything, but I made it.”