Never Again

Memorial at Dachau Concentration Camp
Courtesy or wikimedia.org

Okay, it’s time to get serious. By the time that I post this, it will probably be Thursday. Thursday, May 5, 2016 is a Jewish holiday. But really, when is it not a Jewish holiday? This holiday, however, is more recent, even though it was created half a century ago. Although it isn’t as well known in the non-Jewish community as Hanukkah or Passover, it is probably one of the most important holidays there is. Yom HaShoah translates to Holocaust Remembrance Day. Like Jews all over the world, this day means so much to me. 

On Friday, last week, I went to see the high school’s spring play. Coincidentally, the play was The Diary of Anne Frank. I originally went to support my friends who were in it, but it ended up reminding me what my people went through. I really loved the show, but at the end, I was bawling. What happened was so terrible and the fact that anyone would every think about hurting a person (let alone six million people) in that way is sickening. I know that the Holocaust is a very touchy subject for a lot of people, but the survivors are a dying generation that soon won't be able to tell their stories.

Several years ago, my family went to Washington D.C. for a conference that my dad had to go to. One of the days, we ended up visiting the National Holocaust Museum. Seeing all of the items that were recovered from the concentration camps and listening to those stories of the survivors really brought the whole ordeal into perspective for me. WWII and the Holocaust were massive parts of my family history and shaping who I am today.

It seems kind of ironic, but I probably wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for World War II. My grandpa is German, but he was born in England after his family fled Germany. Everyday, nearby cities were bombed and destroyed, but he and his family survived. He lived in England until he was three, when they were given the chance to leave. My grandpa, his mom, and sister all packed their things to go to America, but my great-grandpa had to stay and defend England. There were thirteen refugee ships that left England, but only two made it to America. My grandpa died two years ago, but I was lucky enough to hear that story.

Courtesy of wvu.edu

Like I said, the Holocaust is a very sensitive subject, but it is very important to be taught about it. I am a firm believer of the idea that those who don’t learn about history are doomed to repeat it. Genocide is something that I do not want to happen again, that is why, when talking about the Holocaust, you say, “Never again.”

Thank you for bearing with me through this post. I cant express enough how much this topic hits home to me. Just remember no matter your race, religion, or gender, we are all people. Six million people should never again lose their lives just because one person thinks they are different.

Until next time…

~Rachael