Friday, April 13. 2007Remembering the Holocaust
I’m not sure how many of you are aware that April 15 - April 22 is the National Days of Remembrance for the victims of the the Holocaust.
Mr. Nutz (a friend / elder from church) and I went down to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. For those who have not seen this, it is definitely worth the visit. It was good to know more about what happened and why the holocaust occurred. There was quite a bit of shocking and repulsive material, but all of it was necessary to accurately document what happened.
Throughout the museum, there were many quotes that filled the walls. Here are a couple that really made me think:
Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children, and to your children’s children.
Deuteronomy 4:9
Out of our memory…of the Holocaust we must forge an unshakable oath with all civilized people that never again will the world stand silent, never again will the world…fail to act in time to prevent this terrible crime of genocide….we must harness the outrage of our own memories to stamp out oppression wherever it exists. We must understand that human rights and human dignity are indivisible.
Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States
Where books are burned, in the end people will be burned.
Heinrich Heine
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
Pastor Martin Niemoller
Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. …Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.
Elie Wiesel
Even if you are not able to go to the holocaust museum, at least take a moment to skim through the Wikipedia article on the Holocaust.
I’m not sure how many of you are aware that April 15 - April 22 is the National Days of Remembrance for the victims of the the Holocaust.
Mr. Nutz (a friend / elder from church) and I went down to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. For those who have not seen this, it is definitely worth the visit. It was good to know more about what happened and why the holocaust occurred. There was quite a bit of shocking and repulsive material, but all of it was necessary to accurately document what happened.
Throughout the museum, there were many quotes that filled the walls. Here are a couple that really made me think:
Only guard yourself and guard your soul carefully, lest you forget the things your eyes saw, and lest these things depart your heart all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children, and to your children’s children.
Out of our memory…of the Holocaust we must forge an unshakable oath with all civilized people that never again will the world stand silent, never again will the world…fail to act in time to prevent this terrible crime of genocide….we must harness the outrage of our own memories to stamp out oppression wherever it exists. We must understand that human rights and human dignity are indivisible.
Where books are burned, in the end people will be burned.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. …Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never.
Even if you are not able to go to the holocaust museum, at least take a moment to skim through the Wikipedia article on the Holocaust.
