The Eradicate Hate Summit is more than just education, it's a mission statement | KD Sunday Spotlight

For Dr. Alfred Garwood, life is a miracle.

"I was conceived in a Nazi ghetto," he said. "We were sent to a camp called Bergen-Belsen."

His family survived the holocaust, and said, "We were hostages." The average life expectancy was six weeks in horrid conditions. He described the experience as "indescribable."

Later, the Red Army liberated him and his family while on the way to a concentration camp.

A second chance at life meant he was given an obligation to do something worthwhile. 

He did make a worthwhile decision by becoming a general practitioner, but being a doctor wasn't enough. He became a psychotherapist and focused on trauma therapy. 

"It's what I wanted to do, and it didn't seem like hard work," Dr. Garwood said. "I was learning to be skillful in an area, which was so important to me."

Now it includes helping speak at the Eradicate Hate Summit. The nonprofit's president, Brette Steele, said the work goes beyond the 1,700 people attending this summit. It's year-round programming. 

"For me that's a dream realized," said Steele. "You know, these programs work; we see the real impact."

That includes the "upend hate" program for youth piloted in 10 schools.

"[We just] trained 330 students with our partner Community Matters; two of the 330 students reported guns on campus and averted school attacks," Steele said. 

An attack here at home prompted the creation of Eradicate Hate. 

"Of course we never thought it would happen in Squirrel Hill, and it happened to us," co-founder of Eradicate Hate Mark Nordenberg said.

The mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue created a movement.

"It's easier to imagine how those people feel and what they're going through and how we ought to do everything we can to make certain it doesn't continue spreading," Nordenberg said. 

Ending hate begins with sharing lessons learned from those who saw hate kill millions. Dr. Garwood said people would ask him, "Do you hate the Germans? And I said, absolutely not. They couldn't understand that I understood enough not to hate."

Stories of compassion, like Garwood's, make a difference for everyone to hear. 

"Hate does a terrible thing, and it's a poison that poisons the hater," Garwood said. "The most important things in life are our relationships, and our loved ones, our families."

He's learned important lessons in life. Lessons of love help eradicate hate for good. 

"It certainly does. People who suffer need to know there are people who care," said Dr. Garwood.

Anybody who's concerned about someone committing a violent act can find resources through Eradicate Hate. It's called the "reach out" resource hub.