Holocaust Remembrance Day is usually a time to reflect on the darkest tragedy of the Jewish people in the modern age (and some would say in all of history). The importance of having such a day is indisputable, but personally, I must say I find myself pondering the events of the Holocaust quite frequently. Whenever the temperature is freezing outside and, despite my multiple layers and warm clothing, I still feel cold, I can’t help but wonder how in the name of God people could survive the harsh European winter with only a thin piece of cloth covering their bodies. Or when feeling hungry after not eating for a few hours, I wonder how one can endure this distressing sensation for weeks, months, or even years.

These experiences that were so common in the concentration camps are so hard for us to grasp that it’s understandable (though still not acceptable) why in its early years Israel did not exhibit a receptive attitude toward Holocaust victims or even the historiography of the events of the Holocaust. Survivors’ stories sounded so horrifying that their audience thought they were exaggerated. Hearing a survivor’s testimony, I remember him saying that in the beginning, even his family didn’t believe him, and thought his suffering caused him to confuse reality and imagination. This kind of reception generated reluctance among survivors to tell what they had been through. Many felt ashamed and guilty of “being led like sheep for slaughter” instead of resisting more forcefully. Therefore, they refused to talk about their experiences and preferred to leave the past behind them, as if it belonged to another life; a life that had no place in their present circumstances in Israel.

The turning point occurred fifty years ago and one of its more recognizable milestones was the Eichmann trial. Adolf Eichmann was a senior Nazi officer who fled to Argentina and lived there under a fake identity until May 1960, when the Israeli Mossad captured him and took him to Jerusalem to face trial in an Israeli court. The charges against him were numerous, including crimes against humanity, such as his coordination of many deportations of Jews to ghettos and extermination camps. For those and other charges, he was found guilty and sentenced to death (the first and only time a death sentence was enacted in Israel). However, it wasn’t the verdict, but the trial itself that changed Israel’s (and the entire Jewish world’s) approach toward the Holocaust. The trial aroused international interest, bringing Nazi atrocities to the forefront of world news, and it was the first time the survivors were given such a public stage. One survivor after another testified in court, and the nation listened to the voices of the witnesses, feeling their agony. It prompted a new openness in Israel, as the country confronted this traumatic chapter in Jewish history.

The impact of Eichmann’s trial is felt to this day in the way Israel promotes Holocaust education and encourages survivors – who are aging – to share their experiences with others. Holocaust Remembrance Day is the culmination of our efforts to honor survivors and remember the fallen. In Israel, at one point during the day, a siren sounds, traffic stops, and the entire country observes two minutes of silent memorial. There is no public entertainment, as theaters, cinemas, pubs, and other public venues are closed. Radio, television, and even music programs are all adapted to recognize the serious atmosphere of this special day.

Rega Shel Ivrit

Yom HaShoah V’Hag’vurah –יום השואה והגבורה  (Day of the Holocaust and Heroism)

The rationale for this name arises from Israel’s past approach that preferred to focus on how Jews heroically resisted their Nazi tormentors through fighting them in the ghettos and joining underground partisans who fought the Third Reich in its occupied countries. For the same reason, the original proposal was to hold Yom HaShoah on 14 Nisan, the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (though due to its proximity to Passover it was postponed for after the holiday, still within the time span of the ghetto uprising).

Today, the name and the date of this day remain with a broader understanding, I believe, that a hero is not just someone who bears arms and fights in the name of a higher purpose; a hero is also someone chooses to live and retain his human dignity in the most unbearable conditions. I’m proud to call all those who experienced the Holocaust my heroes, as they prove to the entire world that the human spirit is stronger than can ever be imagined. Let us always remember this message together with the memory of those who perished and the heroism of the survivors.

Shabbat Shalom,
Roey

________________________________________

About the Author

Roey Schiff is the NFTY Shaliach. Roey grew up in Ein Vered, Israel and has experience working with teens and leadership development. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Business Management from Ben Gurion University. In September 2010, Roey moved to NYC to act as the NFTY and Israel Programs Shaliach as part of the URJ Youth Division.