Munich survivor addresses Chabad in Melbourne
Chabad of Melbourne CBD has hosted Dan Alon who told the story of how he survived the Munich massacre during the Olympic games of 1972.
Dan Alon
Alon’s father had been a fencer in Europe before the Second World War, with the family leaving for Israel in 1938 to escape Nazi Germany. Alon was trained by his father from the age of twelve. Finally a dream come true, Alon was part of the Israeli Fencing team which were to compete at the Olympic Games.
Alon’s world was shattered on September the 5th of that year. A group of terrorists called Black September invaded the building in the Olympic Villiage in which he, and his 15 fellow athletes were staying. Eleven were murdered in cold blood; he and 4 others managed to escape. Alon’s story is a detailed account of this tragic and heart wrenching event. It reminds us of the bitter exile in which we find ourselves.
