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| President Rivlin with President Macron in Jerusalem (JOL) |
That is hard to contemplate since that is one of the most tragic
events in all of Jewish history. 6
million Jews were slaughtered simply for being Jews. Add to that
millions more of us that were tortured and survived (among whom were my father and his
second wife, my mother) – and it is impossible to even begin to imagine the magnitude
of horror that this event was.
It is hard to fault those who work so hard to perpetuate
the memory of the Holocaust. And I agree with them. If there was ever a tragic
event that ought never to be forgotten, the Holocaust is it.
That is no doubt, the reason Israel is hosting the World
Holocaust Forum that began on Tuesday. At a time where antisemitism and Holocaust
denial is on the rise, leaders from all over the world are attending an event
dedicated to denying the deniers and perpetuating its memory.
The youngest Holocaust survivors (at least old enough to
have any memory of it) are in their 80s and 90s. Now more than ever is the time to insist to
the word that the Holocaust did happen and that it was a uniquely Jewish tragedy
- despite the fact that many millions of non Jews were slaughtered as well.
Among others in attendance were Vice President Mike Pence, Russia’s
Vladimir Putin, and France’s Emmanuel Macron. I do not recall anything like
this - where the world has come together for this purpose. I am gratified to
see that European leaders are stepping up - even as antisemitic attacks have skyrocketed
in recent years in some European countries like France. I must admit that it was nice hearing the
words of Macron who said:
I will continue, committed and active, to fight against all forms of antisemitism, against racism and hatred and against those who divide our society. We decided to talk about the issue of anti-Zionism as antisemitism in a direct and clear way. Anti-Zionism is not different from antisemitism.
The best way to combat antisemitism and prevent it from ever
happening again is with knowledge and truth.
That being said, I worry that we do not become defined by
the Holocaust. This is not the way the Jewish people should be thought of. It is
not what we are all about. Those who are involved in perpetuating its memory should
be aware of those unintended consequences.
That being the case, whenever I see any Holocaust event, I worry that we not defined as a people by it. A definition that is enhanced by one of the
more positive developments of the last few decades - the opening of Holocaust
Museums all over the globe. As positive as this is, I still worry that this too
will add to the perception that the Holocaust is what defines us. Even the recognition
of State of Israel in 1948 by the UN can be attributed to post Holocaust guilt.
It is nice to see a different kind of Jew
who is strong and can defend himself, which is the antithesis of the erroneous
perception that we all all just lambs to the slaughter. But that too is not who we really are at the core.
The only real way to avoid the perception that Judaism is synonymous
with the Holocaust is to project what
were are all really about. We must not
let the Holocaust define us – even as important as it is at this point in time
to assure its memory.
We are neither victims nor warriors. We are the people of the book. It is a ‘book’ that defines
who we are. Not the tragedies we have
suffered. No matter how great the tragedy. Nor are we to be defined as the new Jew - the mighty warriors of the New State of Israel
that have arisen from the ashes of the Holocaust.
We are a people chosen by God to be His treasured people. The
Torah tells us that we are to be a Mamleches Kohanim v’Goy Kaddosh - A kingdom of priests and a holy nation. We have
to distinguish ourselves by obeying God’s laws as outlined in that ‘book’. Those
that govern our direct relationship with God and man (rituals) - and those that
govern the relationship between man and his
fellow man (ethical and moral behavior).
As God’s chosen people we are mandated to be exemplars of both.
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| Yeshivas Darchei Torah Honoree, Everett Fortune (Mishpacha) |
Unfortunately not enough of us rise to the task. Too many of
us fall short in both areas. Some more than others – getting caught in behavior
unbecoming of our stature of God’s chosen people. In some cases behavior so bad
that it becomes a major Chilul Hashem.
But there are some instances where we do indeed rise to the
occasion. And behave as we should. This was the case at Yeshivas Darchei Torah
as reported in this week’s Mishpacha Magazine. Please read the article in full.
This is how we should behave. And be defined. This behavior would contribute mightily to ‘Never again!’ which
is one of the main goals of remembering the Holocaust. Perhaps even more than perpetuating
its memory?
