Why we will keep marching in Auschwitz
Op-ed: As Jewish stores are being torched again in France, as anti-Semitic politicians grow stronger in Eastern Europe, and as neo-Nazis march shamelessly in the US, the deputy chairman of the International March of the Living explains why the war over the memory of the Holocaust is more relevant than ever in 2018.
With the passage of the decades since the most horrible crime against humanity were carried out, some of us may have become slightly impassive, but the mission, of passing on the memory to the next generation and to those that follow, is more relevant and important than ever.
In France, Jewish stores are being torched again; in Eastern European countries, anti-Semitic politicians are gaining power and new laws seek to limit the truth; in the enlightened USA, neo-Nazi shows of force are being held without any sense of shame, and the voices calling for a return to a sovereign, homogenous and fascist nostalgia are growing stronger in the polls.
Reality seems difficult and depressing. The neo-Nazis are rearing their ugly head in places we thought it could never happen until recently. Humanity is repressing and ignoring the use of chemical agents against the Syrian population, and an ethnic war is taking place in Myanmar. All this emphasizes the extent of the growing evil and hatred in the world on a daily basis and how a racist nationalistic wave is sweeping many nations.
When racism is fed by ignorance and hatred is fed by fear, we must not give up on cultivating awareness and solidarity among the young generation. The availability of knowledge isn’t enough, and as the global level of shock keeps increasing, our challenge is to spur action and critical thought.
All of us, all human beings sharing planet Earth, have the duty of ensuring that “never again” is a reality. The preservation and commemoration mission doesn’t belong to the Jewish people alone, but to all of humanity, and it isn’t enough to just remember the Holocaust. Today, more than ever, it’s important for all of us, especially the young generation, to internalize the lessons of the Holocaust and remember both the Jewish communities and the minorities and other weakened populations that were murdered by the Nazis.
It’s still our responsibility to deal with the horrible ramifications of World War II, constantly asking ourselves in comparative perspective what can be concluded from the dark past about manifestations of racism, oppression and violence in our lives today.
The right way is to connect the past to the present. Passing the memorial torch from the few remaining survivors and testimonies to the youth is critical. That torch contains enormous strength, which teaches important universal values in dark times: Solidarity, humanitarianism, tolerance, acceptance of the other and a war on anti-Semitism and racism.
A study that looked into the March of the Living’s effect on hundreds of teenagers from a variety of religions and nationalities found that 90 percent of them felt the project made them understand the need to become more involved when encountering anti-Semitism, and 54 percent said the march made them more tolerant towards other groups. Memory isn’t lost if you fight for it.
We need to develop the methods, content and means to convey the stories even when there is no one left to provide a first-hand account. The Holocaust isn’t just another historical event, but a monument of human cruelty and the depths of evil people may sink to. The six million murdered Jews, alongside millions of other victims, command us not to let go and not to despair.
Attorney Baruch Adler, a son of Holocaust survivors, is deputy chairman of the International March of the Living.
