A Day of Remembrance

There aren't a lot of historical events that can stir up emotion in me like the Holocaust can. If I'm left to wallow in my own thoughts about it then I'll start to become teary-eyed, especially on a day like yesterday. If you don't know, yesterday was the Holocaust Remembrance Day or "Yom HaShoah." At approximately 10:00 in the morning, a siren could be heard throughout all of Israel for two-minutes, so that people may stand in silence and reflect on those that were lost.

It was really quite incredible. I watched Schindler's List last week, and with the the movie's powerful imagery still fresh in my mind, yesterday had a strong impact on me. I happened to be standing near a window when the siren began wailing, and I looked out at the road and noticed that all the traffic had stopped and people had gotten out of their cars. Thinking back on it now, I'm not surprised, but at the time I was extremely moved. It is things like this that make Israel a country with such a strong sense of community.

Reflecting on the Holocaust also gives me vigor and reminds me of one the biggest reasons I came here to join the army-- to make sure that something like that won't ever happen again. For whatever reason, the Jews have historically been the world's scapegoat more so than other ethnicities and religions, and therefore it's of the utmost importance that we have a state of our own. If you ever feel your zionist passion dwindling, you need look no further than the tragedies that have befallen the the Jews time and time again. What an amazing thing it is that we have made so much progress as a people despite so many setbacks and such heavy-handed resistance. By living our lives freely and in peace, we carry on the dreams of freedom that were originally held by people hoarded like cattle into the gas chambers.

There are six million Jews who would tragically never get to see the what success our people would ultimately have. On Yom HaShoah, we remember them, so that we will never forget, and so that we we will always know that even though they are no longer with us, they are still a part of us and always will be.

"... in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the heavens, I think that it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquillity will return again." - Anne Frank