Tag Archives: Germany

Yes indeed…We’re everywhere

beckermanpicAfter looking up various sources it appears the U.S.A. National Soccer team playing in the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brasil does indeed have a Jewish player on their team.  Whether or not it is both parents, just his mother (which would satisfy all Jews requirements) or just his father (something that would not satisfy the most traditional within the religion’s ranks) I do not know.  But I do know he is referred to as Jewish.  Good enough for me.

For the record, even if we didn’t have one I’d still be cheering for them to beat Germany today.   Just a little tidbit I know a bunch of you out there will appreciate.  Maybe he makes it into Adam Sandler’s next Hanukkah song.  That might depend on whether or not he helps us win.  Go U.S.A! (unless you play The Netherlands).


Attention World: Jewish Life has Value

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Let me start by saying that I believe in the value of all human life.  I do not sit down with the intent of portraying Jewish life as being more valuable than other life, rather to defame those who do not, never have nor ever will see Jewish life as being equal in value.

I am blessed to have visiting in my home the daughter and son-in-law of Bertus and Geeske te-Kiefte, the couple that saved my mother’s life in Holland during Nazi occupation.  During the time we have spent together we have had conversations revealing our similarity in values and our respect for all that is decent and good in the world.  We recognize the value of all human life and speak with tremendous honor and respect for those who put their lives in danger to protect others.  We share a common value for human life.  As a Jew in today’s world it has become strikingly apparent that many people out there do not share the same value for Jewish life and even more worrisome is that it has become clear to me how the world allowed the Nazis to do what they did to the Jewish people.  It just didn’t care.  Or even worse, it approved.

I do not have a persecution complex by any means.  In fact I make the argument that there is no reason to go after those who do things that appear to be anti-Semitic if they make claim to not be anti-Semitic.  First case in point is Macklemore, who dressed up in a costume during one of his performances that was seen as being a stereotypical caricature of a Jewish man with a big nose.  Whether that was his intent or not, his strong claim that he did not mean it to be a portrayal of someone Jewish and that he was not at all anti-Semitic is enough for me to not see him as the problem.  Second case in point is the Nike commercial with evil clones taking over international soccer with images on their uniform that could be construed as Stars of David.  Nike issued a statement that the image was not intended to resemble a Star of David at all and that they were not trying to draw any connection to Israel or the Jewish people.  The Nike statement was also enough for me to not see them as the problem.

Is it possible that in both situations we are being lied to and that these are two instances where high-profile celebrities or corporations are subtly trying to demonize Israel and the Jewish people? Sure.  But sadly in a world where there are so many blatant, callous, disgraceful and violent attacks on Jews, the subtle attacks are not our problem.  The rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe, most notably in France, is our problem.   The BDS movement’s attempt to cripple the Israeli economy by spewing lies about Israel’s human rights record is our problem.  And the kidnapping of three young boys just because they are Jewish and living in Israel is our problem.

The kidnappings are telling in so many ways.  First of all it identifies the insincerity of the pigs committing the act.  They are not freedom fighters battling for the well-being of their people who are attacking enemy combatants.  They are cowards filled with hate and evil-looking to harm any Jewish person they come in contact with. The second telling fact is how once again this exposes the fraud that is the United Nations.  When a statement comes from the UN stating that it has no evidence that these boys were kidnapped, they sound no different from the standard anti-Semite denying the Holocaust ever happened. And the third and possibly the most telling fact, is the media campaign throughout the Arab world glorifying the kidnapping.  The three finger salute gaining traction and popularity, even being performed by Palestinian children, incidentally children looking happy not persecuted, might as well be accompanied by a resounding Heil Hitler, because it shows as little respect for Jewish life as the Nazis did when they terrorized Europe.

I am very careful and reluctant to compare anything to Nazi Germany, but when Jewish life is turned into something of no value, the comparison is dangerously justified.  For me to have this forum, a forum established to promote a book telling the story of my parents, survivors of that horror of the Nazis, and to not speak up and speak my mind at this scary time in Jewish history would make me remiss in my responsibility as a Jew and a human being.

Never Again means Never Again will we remain silent when we see anyone in the world act as though Jewish blood is cheap.  Too many people suffered and died in the past and we can’t allow the same to happen in the future. This is no longer the time to be silent.  This is the time to raise our voices and proclaim to the world in the name of all that is decent, Never Again!

 


The Manufacturing of Terrorists: The Real Human Rights Violation

MummyBomberL_468x468As everyone tries to make sense of the Boston Marathon bombings, I sit and wonder why people refuse to accept the reality of the situation.  I maintain that the refusal is based in fear.  Maybe it is fear of the bad guys and the perception of what they will do if you openly hold them responsible for the destruction they are bringing to our planet.  Or maybe it is fear of coming across as too radical.  After all, everyone cares what their friends think about them.  Don’t believe me?  Just check Facebook or Twitter.  Maybe it’s the fear that the truth is just too hard to swallow.  What truth do I speak of?  The fact that that there are modern day Nazi-style regimes either in place or springing up all over the world.  Except this time they are masquerading as so-called religious, more specifically Muslim nations and organizations.

First I will explain the legitimacy and importance of the comparison to Nazi Germany.   The best way to understand the comparison is to look at today’s Germany.  Although no nation is perfect, the Germany of today is a civilized, tolerant, peace-loving society.  Germany did not import new people into their populous after 1945.  However, after the Allies defeated Hitler’s regime, Germany rebuilt, and the basic decency that exists in most human beings became more prevalent than the morally corrupt, evil principals of Nazi Germany.  It is hard for some to believe that Germany could ever have become a good country after 1945, but the fact is that it has.  The point I am making is that in general, it is not the people who are bad, it is their leaders.  And although it was not only justified, but necessary to kill Germans before Hitler’s government fell, many of those killed could in fact be deemed victims as well; as is the case with a large percentage of the world’s Muslim population today.

Hitler rose to power by feeding off the discontent of the people.  After Germany’s defeat in World War I, the Treaty of Versailles was instituted as a means to control and punish Germany for their aggression.  With no desire to make their lives better, Hitler used the people’s subsequent hunger, bitterness, and desperation as a way to not only gain power, but to control their actions.  Anyone Hitler hated, most notably the Jews, was responsible for the plight of the German people, and by making the people believe that not only was their misfortune their fault, but that by eliminating them things would improve, he successfully created a power source that was responsible for mass murder unlike the world had ever seen.  The same formula is being used today.  Except today’s governments and leaders are going one step further.  They are actually creating the misfortune.  I am by no means saying that Hitler was a better man.  I am merely stating that he did not have to crush the morale of his people.  That had already been done prior to his ascent to power, and arguably with justification.  These Muslim regimes have drained the life from the very people they claim to care for the most. 

Now fast forward to the 1960s and the formation of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization).  The PLO was a group that portrayed itself as freedom fighters, fighting for the rights of the displaced Palestinians with the sole purpose of creating a homeland for its people and destroying the State of Israel.  It’s weapon of choice, terrorism against Jews worldwide.  Although tragically successful in murdering people, the PLO accomplished one thing over everything else it claimed to want to accomplish.  It made Yasser Arafat a very rich and powerful man.  And rich he became, owning Hotels in the Swiss Alps and amassing a fortune while his people suffered under the misconception that it was the fault of guess who?  The Jews.  I wonder how many people took the time to facetiously thank Yasser Arafat, the founding father of modern terrorism for the bombing in Boston.  He not only set the stage, but he was complicit in the creation of the new blueprint.

The attacks on September 11, 2001, or as we now refer to it, 9/11, were attacks organized by Osama bin-Laden, but perpetrated by Saudi Arabian nationals.  Saudi Arabia, a nation so wealthy that the royal family recently gifted its people $36 billion in the hope of placating the  population enough to avoid uprisings similar to so many other Arab nations since the start of the “Arab Spring”.  Like so many other corrupt governments, the Saudi royal family has managed to keep its people down, creating a segment of the population that feels its only future and purpose is to destroy those responsible for their life’s deficiencies.  What was once only Israel’s fault is now also the fault of the entire western world, mainly the United States.  They convince their people that the reason things are so bad is the dominance of the corrupt, non-Muslim infidels of Israel and the United States.  By doing this they believe they strengthen their power base and maintain control of the government and yes, more importantly the money.  After all, happy people tend to gravitate towards Democracy, a dangerous concept for these people.

As other nations and organizations use this same model, they teach their children that murdering people is OK, as long as you do it with a purpose.  If the Jews and Americans are evil, anything you do to hurt them makes your life worthwhile.  The fact is that these children are victims as well.  They are victims of a violation of Human Rights unprecedented in history. They are being made into terrorists.   If Hamas and Hezbollah truly value the lives of their people, would they teach their young to blow themselves up?  If these children were given a chance for a life do you truly believe they would want to be part of this despicable behavior?  Of course not.  As some would like to believe that the reason the Palestinians and Israelis do not live in peace is the creation of Jewish settlements, the real reason there is no peace is because the beginning of peace marks the end of Hamas, Hezbollah, and ultimately even  regimes such as the current Iranian government and the Saudi monarchy.  I find it ironic how I once loved Pink Floyd because the music was so intelligent only to find myself now having trouble listening to their music because their front man Roger Waters has shown such ignorance and stupidity in calling for boycotts against Israel.   Is he really that stupid?  Or is he too afraid of the truth.  The truth that in order to maintain their power over their people, these leaders manufacture terrorists, and do so at such remarkable efficiency that they have now begun to do what so many other successful manufacturers do, export their product, as seen last week in Boston.  You see now they have found a new method.  Target young Muslims anywhere in the world and if they are fortunate enough to be malcontents, teach them how their life can have meaning by killing innocent people.

I know that seeing the United States give financial aid to Egypt’s new government is a hard pill to swallow seeing how the Muslim Brotherhood’s rhetoric is as bad as the other’s, but the truth is that supporting the governments that arise out of the Arab Spring may just be the last peaceful option.  If somehow these new governments would provide their people with real purpose and a hope at a decent life, the hope would be, albeit it unlikely, terrorists would no longer have such a significant breeding ground.  If however it does not work, the only way to eliminate it will be by powerful force, force that will most likely cause loss of life we have not seen since World War II.  The problem is, using the analogy of cancer, when force conquered Nazi Germany and their allies in World War II the cancer was a series of highly recognizable cancers in specific parts of the world body.  Today’s cancer has spread so intricately worldwide it will be much harder to eliminate.  And don’t look to the United Nations for help.  The reason the UN has not only recognized, but supported terror groups and evil regimes over the years is because of one thing, money.

And finally, before anyone reads this and thinks this is an anti-Islam rant, know that the motivation for writing this is the very pleasant interaction I regularly have with an Egyptian street vendor.  I look at him and realize the people are not the problem, their leadership is.  Sadly, should anyone rise up from within their ranks and attempt to lead the people in a better direction, a direction of peace and at least the potential for prosperity, that person’s life would be in immediate and grave danger.  After all, anything that stands in the way of their manufacturing process, the one that manufactures terrorists, would be something they would need to eliminate.   If you are frightened or saddened by this harsh reality remember this.  Not facing it will ultimately lead to a worse one.  One that should be unacceptable to any civilized human being, whether or not that human being is a Jew, Christian, Muslim, or any other believer or non-believer.

 

 

 

 


Misplaced Tolerance

Earlier on Facebook I came across a post in which people criticized Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau for his comments regarding the recent ban on circumcision.  The comment that was criticized was as follows: “I didn’t see such German sensitivity to Jewish blood during the Shoah (Holocaust).”   The following was my reply in the post in which other’s criticized Israel’s former Chief Rabbi and Holocaust survivor.

 

 

It is easy to criticize a man like Rabbi Lau, but any one of us in his position with the same experiences may have responded the same way. Yes I realize that it is a different Germany today and that not everything relates to the Holocaust, but those who went through that time are justifiably sensitive to behaviors that remind them of that time, be it due to the actual behavior or the people responsible for the behavior. It is easy for most of us who have not experienced that sort of terror to put the focus on someone like Rabbi Lau, who in fact in his commitment to the Jewish people since 1945 has been somewhat heroic despite the suffering he saw at a young age. I have tolerance for the people of Germany today because I feel this generation has earned it, but I will not make that tolerance come before the tolerance I have for an elderly Jewish man, a great man, who reacted to something that struck a deep emotional chord.


Tisha B’Av and an Olympic fiasco

As the sun sets this Saturday, July 28, 2012, the we being the commemoration of the 9th day of the month of Av on the Jewish calendar.  This day, known as Tisha B’Av, is the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.  It commemorates the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem and is widely recognized as the day used to remember those lost in the Holocaust when exact dates are not available.  The sadness of the day is in line with the feelings of despair caused by the attempted annihilation of the Jewish people by Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Germany.  This is going to be a short post designed to make a very powerful and important point.  On the eve of Tisha B’Av 1941, the Nazi killing machine signed into effect the “Final Solution” against the Jews.  On the eve of Tisha B’Av 1942, the Nazis ordered the beginning of deportations from the Warsaw Ghetto.  And on the eve of Tisha B’Av 2012 the OIC (Olympic International Committee) will not sanction just 1 minute of silence at the opening ceremonies for 11 Jewish people murdered at one of its previous events, the Munich Olympics.

Let me make something very clear.  I am by no means comparing the decision makers of the OIC to the evil murderous thugs of Nazi Germany.  However, the message this sends to me is that 70 years later Jewish lives still do not hold value to many out there, and subsequently what I do on this site and what many reading do in their lives carries a great responsibility and importance to Jewish people worldwide.  We must never forget, and in doing so do whatever possible to make sure the world never forgets.


Europe 1940 to Euro 2012

Whenever possible, Holland’s Heroes attempts to take current events and link it to the story in Jew Face.  Sometimes it is an obvious connection, sometimes it is a stretch requiring imagination, and occasionally it is a connection that in its insignificance is mildly entertaining and sometimes even funny or ironic.  This particular post falls into that last category.

Over the next 5 days the champion for Euro 2012 International Football(soccer) tournament will be crowned.  The semifinal matches are as follows.  Today, Spain against Portugal.  Tomorrow, Germany against Italy.

The book Jew Face is the story of my parents Nardus and Sipora Groen, primarily surrounding the events taking place between 1940-1945.  My mother’s maiden name was Rodrigues-Lopes.  A Dutch Jew from Spanish-Portuguese descent, my mother spent 5 years either hiding or running from the Nazi killing machine with the help of my father Nardus Groen.  This book chronicles the events that took place as they lived through the time when Germany occupied Holland.  One of Germany’s allies during World War II; Italy.

I think the irony is obvious.  The not so obvious question, seeing as these countries are very different countries today is, who would I like to see win this thing.  I will keep that answer to myself.  At least for today.


For all those who need hope…

To all those in Israel, Holland, England, Australia, Germany, France, India, Pakistan, Singapore,  Sweden, Philipines,  Spain, Poland, and of course the United States of America who are viewing my blog, THANK YOU!

Now tell all your friends and tell them to tell all of theirs.  Let them know about the book Jew Face.  I look around and see many people today who have lost hope because of everyday difficulties and struggles and hope that knowing this story will help in some way.  Everyone needs inspiration and those who have read the book so far have at the very least seen how people can come from the worst situation, the brink of personal devastation, and built a life of joy, fulfillment, and love.

So tell your friends.  Let them have the opportunity to decide if they want to reap the benefits of this story.


Sports, destiny, and remembering a father

With today being 5 years since the passing of my father, Nardus Groen, in a blog that speaks of the book Jew Face and Nazi Germany’s occupation of Holland between 1940-45, you might ask yourself why this post talks about a Football (Soccer) game. Here’s why.  I remember calling my parents in Holland during times when I was living either in America or Israel.  My parents always warmly welcomed my call and had time to speak with me.  With one exception.  When there was a football match on my father was busy and would instruct me to call back at a later time.  It didn’t  have to be an international match between the Netherlands and a rival nation.  If Ajax of Amsterdam was playing, or one of Europe’s elite teams were on the television, there was very little that would pry him away from the television.  It was a passion of my father’s as it still is today for my mother.  So with that in mind, on June 13, 2012, exactly 5 years after my father’s passing, it is impossible to ignore the fact that today, Holland must defeat Germany in order to have a reasonable shot at surviving the first round of Euro 2012 Football Championships.  It’s exactly what my father would have wanted on a day like today.  That and of course a Dutch victory over Germany. And maybe that will be what actually happens with the help of one special fan who is remembered with love and respect watching and cheering on from a very special place. Go Holland!


IKEA Youth

It seems that often when I step into many of my friends and families homes I can’t resist the urge to tell them that I see a piece of furniture that I like. The answer I often get, “I bought it at IKEA”. They then usually turn to me and tell me how much they love IKEA and how their entire home is filled with IKEA items. This is usually the time when I tell them that I won’t buy from IKEA. And here’s why.

Between 1933-1945 Germany was ruled by one of the most brutal, murderous, sadistic governments this planet has ever seen. The rule of the Nazi party in Germany took the world down a path that led to the death of over 60 million people. Millions were murdered in genocidal fashion by the Nazis lead by their leader Adolph Hitler, including 6 million Jews from all over Europe. While this was taking place, many turned a blind eye. Even leaders that history has declared to be great men, such as FDR and Winston Churchill, may have known to a certain degree what was taking place but took no action. We may never know for sure what they did and did not know until the Nazi party was defeated in 1945. At that point in time however we do know that the word got out of what had taken place. The death camps, the gas chambers, the torture, the medical experiments, this all began to come out and become public knowledge in 1945. It was at this time that Ingvar Kamprad, the founder and owner of IKEA decided to begin attending pro Nazi meetings in his hometown in Sweden. Yes Sweden. Not Germany, not Austria, Sweden. Since the time I was old enough to understand the history, I have been clear on the difference between the German who was a nominal member of the Nazi party, and the German who was an active member of the Nazi party. I still think it speaks volumes that the United Nations chose, as one of its Secretary Generals, Kurt Waldheim, a man who not only should never have been head of a worldwide organization, but more than likely history would show as more likely to be a candidate for prosecution based on war crimes. He was not only an active member of the Nazi party, but an officer as well.

Nominal membership was all over Germany during the Nazi reign. A tide swept the nation and many became members out of fear or just the understanding that they had to fit in. There were the heroic few, such as former German Chancellor Willy Brandt, who actively resisted being part of the Nazi party because they understood what it stood for and had the bravery to stand against it. So had Ingvar Kamprad been from Germany, I might have looked at it differently. But, no, IKEA’s honorable owner is from Sweden. And in Sweden, to be a member of the Nazi party you had to look for it. You didn’t have to resist it, you didn’t have to fight it, you had to search it out. And to add fuel to this fire, this all took place between 1945-1948. 3 years after the atrocities began to become public. Mr. Kamprad refers to this as “the biggest mistake of my life”. Well a mistake that last 3 years is a long mistake. And although I see no evidence of him having done anything that requires prosecution, I for one, a son of Jewish Dutch holocaust survivors refuse to give him my money. For those of you who feel otherwise, it is not my place to make a judgment and I have no desire to do so. Just ask yourself if this is the kind of man that deserves to be made even wealthier from your hard earned money.


Richard Dawson’s connection to Holland’s Heroes

Yes I said Holland’s Heroes.  But to those thinking I meant Hogan’s Heroes, you already have some understanding of his relevance.  Growing up I remember shows such as All in the Family and Sanford and Son being watched and enjoyed, but nothing ever seemed more popular than the spoof of Nazi Germany’s war machine known as Hogan’s Heroes.  Hogan’s Heroes is set in what is supposed to be a German prisoner of war camp during World War II.  ‘Stalag 13’ is where Colonel Hogan and his men used the cover of their incarceration as a base for underground activities against the German war machine.  The camp is run by Colonel Klink, an easily influenced, small-minded fool who believes everything he is told, especially when it is presented as self-serving, and Sargent Schultz, a lovable fool who would be a lot happier eating strudel all day than disciplining prisoners.  Colonel Hogan is joined by 2 fellow American soldiers, a French soldier, and an English soldier, played by Richard Dawson, Hogan’s second in command.  The charm in the show, besides being extremely funny, was that it did a perfect job of walking that fine line between making humor out of the most sensitive of subjects without crossing a line that made the show either painful or inappropriate.  In blatantly making fun of the Germans while never making light of the horrors that took place, the show brought just the appropriate amount of comic relief where one would think it otherwise impossible to do so.  On his passing, we recognize Richard Dawson’s contribution and present you with this clip from the show.