Shalom:
I well remember the day I first heard the word Holocaust, what it was about.
My family was living in Dorchester at the time, I was ten years old, in 5th grade. Our teacher was in a meeting, so we had a Sub the day. I wish I could remember his name, but I remember him. He was tall, very tall and thin builded. A thick mane of blonde curly hair that brushed his shoulders. His eyes blues and he reminded me of the pictures of Jesus hanging on the wall of my Sunday School classroom. A small group of my classmates and formed a circle and he told us about his past. He was first generation german-american, his family came here after the war.
He told us about that this day was a very special day for his people.
"Your people? Who are your people?"
"Jewish."
"Is today a holiday?"
No, it is a day we remember fellow jews who were killed for just being Jewish.
It was then he told us about the Holocaust. This small group of brown faces around him were all history bluffs, so we listen, taking it all in.
The reign of horror over Germany, over her people and the people of the world. Hitler wanted to rule the world. He wanted to created the perfect race of Man. A Pure Race. The Aryan Race. That would mean, if Hitler had sucessed, a global Holocaust.
And most of us would not be here today.
The teacher had lost 3/4 of his family in the death camps. His mother still had nightmares of being dragged out of her bed by Nazi soldiers, the family being herded off to awaiting trains.
He then told us about Slavery, about how our people were brought here in chains, treated like pack animals, whipped into submission and worked from morning to night, worked into their graves. How crude man can be to his fellow man.
But also how kind. This is when I first learned about people like Corrie ten Boom.
Years later, I learned that the Jews weren't the only victims of the Holocaust. Jehovah's Witnesses also were send to the death camp because of their religion and because they would not join the Nazi Party. Homosexuals, the mentily ill and the disabled were also send away as were others.
Today, we remember those taken from us. The lives we live honour them. We are their victory dance on Hitler's grave. Every Jewish child born, every boy or girl who becomes a Son or Daughter of the Commandments, every couple that enters the Huppah is a victory dance.
For we are still standing.
By the Will of G_D, we won.
I well remember the day I first heard the word Holocaust, what it was about.
My family was living in Dorchester at the time, I was ten years old, in 5th grade. Our teacher was in a meeting, so we had a Sub the day. I wish I could remember his name, but I remember him. He was tall, very tall and thin builded. A thick mane of blonde curly hair that brushed his shoulders. His eyes blues and he reminded me of the pictures of Jesus hanging on the wall of my Sunday School classroom. A small group of my classmates and formed a circle and he told us about his past. He was first generation german-american, his family came here after the war.
He told us about that this day was a very special day for his people.
"Your people? Who are your people?"
"Jewish."
"Is today a holiday?"
No, it is a day we remember fellow jews who were killed for just being Jewish.
It was then he told us about the Holocaust. This small group of brown faces around him were all history bluffs, so we listen, taking it all in.
The reign of horror over Germany, over her people and the people of the world. Hitler wanted to rule the world. He wanted to created the perfect race of Man. A Pure Race. The Aryan Race. That would mean, if Hitler had sucessed, a global Holocaust.
And most of us would not be here today.
The teacher had lost 3/4 of his family in the death camps. His mother still had nightmares of being dragged out of her bed by Nazi soldiers, the family being herded off to awaiting trains.
He then told us about Slavery, about how our people were brought here in chains, treated like pack animals, whipped into submission and worked from morning to night, worked into their graves. How crude man can be to his fellow man.
But also how kind. This is when I first learned about people like Corrie ten Boom.
Years later, I learned that the Jews weren't the only victims of the Holocaust. Jehovah's Witnesses also were send to the death camp because of their religion and because they would not join the Nazi Party. Homosexuals, the mentily ill and the disabled were also send away as were others.
Today, we remember those taken from us. The lives we live honour them. We are their victory dance on Hitler's grave. Every Jewish child born, every boy or girl who becomes a Son or Daughter of the Commandments, every couple that enters the Huppah is a victory dance.
For we are still standing.
By the Will of G_D, we won.
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