A few thoughts on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Every culture has its ancestral story. This is one of mine.
This is a story of survival.
The Holocaust happened
The Holocaust happened because of a world embedded deeply in antisemitism.
It was embedded deeply with antisemitism because every country in Christendom had subjected Jews to second-class citizenship, to be denied, ransomed, evicted and killed – for some two thousand years.
Entire countries would kick the Jews out because of hate.[1][2]
The Holocaust happened on the steps of a civilized world.
This day of remembrance is a day to reflect on the stories that brought us to this place.
Once, long ago,
Though the references are vague,
We were slaves.
Then we were free,
And it was a whole thing.
Then there we exiled.
– And a new book inspired
Reasons to hate us.
Until on the brisk
Of a brand new modernity,
They did something worse.
And it was a holocaust,
Which is from Greek:
It means “sacrifice by fire”.
Then we fought for a homeland.
And we built it for ourselves.
And that is the story of my people.
[1]I notice no one’s tried to enslave us again.
[2]If Jews are kicked out of a country today because we are hated, who will take us in? #rhetoricalQuestion