I admit I am trying to sell a book on this website, but in doing so I’ve become very aware of the need to make sure people never forget what the Jewish people went through under Nazi occupation. Today’s terror attack is a powerful and sad reminder of how important this mission has become. An attack most likely orchestrated by Iran, a nation whose president leads the world in Holocaust denial, today’s bus explosion in Bulgaria shows what people who have no value for human life, specifically Jewish life, are capable of doing. The same mentality that existed during Hitler’s Germany today exists in the radical Muslim world. Make no mistake. Today’s attack was not merely and anti-Zionist activity. It was an attack on Jews by people who want the same thing the Nazis wanted, the annihilation of the Jewish people worldwide. We must never forget, because in remembering we can clearly identify when we see it again, as we did today.
Tag Archives: Holocaust
Never Again!!
Remembering a Jewish Hero
Coming out of the horrors of the Holocaust, the modern State of Israel was formed. There were men and women who took it upon themselves to lead the way in what was the defense and protection of the Jewish people. With immense gratitude to those who fought and risked everything for this purpose the Jewish people and the State of Israel live on today. The future is uncertain and concerning, but without people such as Yitzhak Shamir it might not even be a discussion today. With that in mind I say, Rest in Peace to Yitzchak Shamir, an Israeli leader and a Jewish hero. May you be always remember with blessing.
In Support of Greek Jewry
As documented in the book Jew Face, the nation of Holland had 75% of its Jewish population murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Another nation with one of the smaller Jewish populations which suffered similar devastation was the country of Greece. Between 60,000-70,000 Greek Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, most of them in Auschwitz. At the end of the war an estimated 8-10,000 survived. Keeping alive the rich history and culture of Greek Judaism with such a small number remaining is a difficult task, one which my friend Richard Solomon has taken upon himself to do. The following is a link where you can acquire a CD of a discussion about Greek Jewish history and the Greek Jewish Synagogue and Museum of New York.Go to http://kkjsm.org/ and help keep alive the Greek Jewish history and culture.
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.
What is Iran up to?
When Nazi Germany rose to power in 1933 very few, if any, knew what type of horrors they would be capable of inflicting on Europe. Even with the strong anti-Semitic rhetoric no one predicted they would put their “Final Solution” which would lead to the murder of 6 million Jews. Even with Kristallnacht, “Night of Broken Glass”, German Jews knew living in Germany would no longer be comfortable, but most did not predict the gas chambers and death camps. The Nazi strategy was one of gradual progression. They did not hide their disdain for the Jewish people, but what they did was start by taking away their rights, turning public sentiment against them, removing their basic dignity, and finally taking away their life. Their strategy was so successful in Holland that many did not realize how bad it was going to be until it was too late.
Any Jew who believes that anti-Israel sentiment is not the same as anti-Semitism has chosen to turn a blind eye very similar to the blind eyes turned by so many during the reign of Nazi Germany. Israel, the Jewish state, has been a willing partner in peace and a nation that has given up land in the name of peace. We have the nation of Iran committed to its destruction. Its leadership has consistently denied the Holocaust ever happened, as I discuss in my article, “Holocaust Denial: Deceptive hatred”, and it continues a campaign of political manipulation designed to lull the world to sleep while it gains enough strength to attempt its ultimate goal, the destruction of the Jewish state. At this point in time close to 6 million Jewish people now live in Israel. Iran recently instructed Hezbollah not to attack Israel or to fire its missiles into it cities. Their reasoning is that they do not want to make Israel seem like the victim and create more worldwide support.
Their strategy is to progressively build their army, manipulate public opinion, and when they think the time is right attack in devastating fashion. The major difference between now and the 1930s is that today there is a strong and organized Jewish Army known as the IDF, Israel Defense Forces, and the response and or preemptive strike will be with the might of a nation committed to survival. Hopefully it never comes to that, but if the world and a comfortable Jewish populous turns a blind eye similar to that of the 1930s, the conflict and loss of life will be inevitable.
Children of the Holocaust
Children were not spared the horrors of Nazi Germany. This video, used in middle schools to introduce “The Diary of Anne Frank”, powerfully gets that message across.
Where Politics has no meaning
When I stopped and realized that I had not made a new post in 3 days, the first thing I wondered was if anyone had noticed I had been a bit lazy. Once I got that thought out of my head a new thought came to me which I decided to share on here. It has to do with politics. Or the lack thereof on this site and in reaction to this site and the book Jew Face. I need to reference Facebook because it is there where it is often revealed who is Liberal and who is Conservative. So many have their issues they feel passionately about and on occasion they will express those views with an intensity that might be seen as harsh to some. What strikes me, and entirely in a positive way, is that when it comes to the subjects discussed on here, such as the Holocaust, survival, and the war on hatred and Holocaust denial, there are only positive responses. This does not surprise me in the least. What it does is highlight the fact that two people can disagree passionately on important social and economic issues and still be equally decent and caring towards their fellow-man. Social media has its flaws, but it also has the capability of revealing the common good in man regardless of their political viewpoints. Hopefully it will also help people choose their friends based on their actions, not on their political opinions.
How it all connects
In this post, for those who are not more directly connected, I am going to explain why things are as they are on this blog. For example, how does Yom Hazikaron, Day of Remembrance, a day to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the State of Israel, tie in to the book Jew Face. No post on this site is random. The origin of it all goes deeper than the book itself.
Jew Face, as the cover says, is a story of love and heroism in Nazi-occupied Holland. The love story between my parents and their heroic acts and behavior, Nardus and Sipora Groen is the main subject matter of the book and naturally will lead to many posts surrounding them and the life they lead. Expanding it further the book discusses the heroism of various people, Jewish and non-Jewish throughout the 5 years of occupation. Those active in the Dutch resistance will be discussed frequently and as in as much depth as possible with the main focus being on the righteousness of Lubertus and Geeske te Kiefte.
When you peel away another layer however the function of the blog goes much deeper and maybe requires explanation. Three years after the Jewish people experienced the devastating horrors of the Holocaust, the Jewish State of Israel was formed. Jews all over the world declared “Never Again” and have felt a sense of security knowing that there is a Jewish state willing to defend the lives of Jewish people all over the world regardless of their practical support for the nation. The mere existence of this state gives an added strength to that cry of “Never Again”, and every life that is lost in defense of this state is a life that was sacrificed to protect the Jewish people.
When writing a book like Jew Face, a book about what 2 people experienced, as a Jew myself it is impossible to ignore the deeper importance of the story. The origin is the history and future of the Jewish people together with a hopeful betterment of mankind. May God always bless those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Holland's Heroes 