At Auschwitz memorial, a group of Holocaust survivors was recently brought face to face with the ongoing manifestations of antisemitism, a reality they had hoped their experiences and decades of advocacy would have long buried. As they trod the grounds once again, survivors like Esther Piszczek could not contain their deep sense of grief and foreboding. “I hoped never to hear the word again,” she said, with tears in her eyes.
Holocaust survivor excitement and anticipation turned to shock, combining with pensive reflection and worry. They exchanged stories with each other – personal accounts of prejudice, threats, and physical harm they have faced more recently. As Rabbi Terror, 88, expressed, “We came here to remember our family members, the horrors of the Holocaust. But what I hear today is that it’s still going on. I feel I am living in a nightmare all over again.”
Later, Holocaust survivors such as Edith Weingarten took to social media, sharing poignant reflections, identifying the contemporary manifestations of prejudice against Jewish people, often encapsulated in rising hate crimes and attacks, blaring headlines, and fierce debates. Their personal experiences imbue them with the wisdom to recognize those modern parallels.
While noting significant changes in some aspects of society, the Holocaust survivors explained how the technology and global connectivity now offer wider reach and efficiency for antisemitic hate to spread. They reiterated their continued commitment to fighting hate through education, speaking engagements, advocacy, and shared testimonies because they believe that the knowledge of history is crucial to ward off future horrors.
Symbolic of the past and present events seems to be the recent spike in hate crimes against Jewish communities – a reality that echoes the harrowing history. This serves as a reminder that lessons of history cannot be learned only through monuments and education; their true impact is realized through a lived reality devoid of hatred and bigotry.
