Holocaust survivor Philip Riteman continues to tell his story

One of the last living Holocaust survivors in Atlantic Canadacontinues to tell his story, and says he worries the horrors he experiencedcould happen again.

It took four decades for Auschwitz survivor Philip Riteman to begin speaking about what he went through after he was captured by the Nazis when he was 14 years old.

But henow shares his story.

"I maybe survived to come and tell you," he said Friday at an event at the Rotary Club of Moncton West and Riverview. "I wish many times I wouldn't survive, but I did survive. I must be alive for a purpose."

Riteman saidmuch of the turmoil in the world worries him and he hopes that what happened during theHolocaust is never repeated.

"In my mind I'm there,"he said. "I live with this. WhatI seen, there's no human being should ever see what I seen it."

Riteman, who was born in Poland, has personal identification number 98,706 tattooed on his arm. He doesnt know his exact birth date, but believes hes about 90 years old.

His family was exterminated in the Holocaust. Riteman survived by doing hard labour, but witnessed torture, murder, starvation and degradation.

Riteman left Europe following the Second World War and settled in Newfoundland.

He first spoke publicly about his experiences in 1989 in St. Stephen, N.B. He wanted tosilence Holocaust deniers and since then has continued to give talks atschools, churches and community centres.