I've had a crappy few days. For one thing, Holocaust Remembrance Day was depressing. I attended two alternative memorial events on two consecutive nights. These were discussions rather than ceremonies. We discussed what we can learn from the Holocaust (that we need a strong Israel so a Jewish holocaust will never again occur, that we should know that every person is capable of horrible things, or that maybe we have a responsibility to protect other victims of genocide, etc.) and what the Holocaust means to us.
Then yesterday my sister complained that she and I are not independent enough, and she thinks it is because of the Holocaust. My mother is very overprotective of us, as her parents were very overprotective of her. They fled Poland after the Germans entered it and lost almost all their family members. So as my mother grew up, they followed her around all the time, even here in Israel. Somehow, she managed to become independent, though. Then she became an overprotective mother, but we aren't independent enough. Don't get me wrong, she's an excellent mother, though imperfect. So, anyway, realizing even my own life has been shaped by the Holocaust is pretty depressing.
To top that off, there was a rat in our kitchen. We caught it and drowned it (not very humane, but releasing it into the wild would just mean it would return to another house). That was disgusting and surprisingly depressing.
At least one good thing came out of this. My father told my nephew about the rat and my nephew was upset. He didn't like the idea of killing the rat at all. He thought we should have released it far away. Just a few years ago he wouldn't care about an animal's death. On the other hand, he wants to get rid of the family of street cats that has settled in our garden. But then again, so do I (neither of us wants to kill them, just to relocate Momma Cat and her kittens somewhere else).
By the way, the whole Virginia Tech massacre didn't help my mood either.
Farewell to Steve Silberman
1 day ago
that we need a strong Israel so a Jewish holocaust will never again occur :
ReplyDeleteI don't see how that would help, unless you think Israel could mount an invasion of that country.
that we should know that every person is capable of horrible things :
Would that include Jews? Many claim not, what do you think?
that maybe we have a responsibility to protect other victims of genocide :
Best idea I've seen yet. Make it happen.
My Mother grew up in East London during "The Blitz", many of her neighbours were killed, they often went hungry and spent many nights awaiting death in their bunker.
My Father fought throughout the war in the ME and Europe, captured twice by the Nazis and escaped. Decorated for bravery he was haunted by nightmares for the next fifteen years by what he had seen and what he had to do in order to preserve freedom.
My parents rarely spoke of the horrors of the war, they moved on and enjoyed the peace. Maybe your family should start? We are all products of our past but what good is survival if it clouds the present?
First of all, those three different lessons were three possibilites discussed. The one about Israel being strong is the one the establishment and education system emphasize. Most people at those gatherings I attended were critical of that. We need Israel to exist, but that is far from being the only lesson, or even the main lesson.
ReplyDeleteAs to how Israel would prevent another Jewish holocaust, it isn't only about the power to invade, it is about a place where Jews can feel safe from persecution.
"Every person is capable of horrible things" definitely includes Jews. WWII and the holocaust brought out the best and worst of people of all religions and ethnicities.
About protecting other victims of genocide - you should check out what I wrote one year ago on Holocaust Remebrance Day. I wrote Olmert should say something about Darfur. This year, the chairman of Yad VaShem, Tommy Lapid talked about Darfur at the main official ceremony, but that isn't enough.
By the way, oddly, though Israel and Zionist organizations aren't doing nearly enough, if anything at all, regarding Darfur, I've discovered that some see this whole Darfur thing as Zionist propoganda.
My parents rarely spoke of the horrors of the war, they moved on and enjoyed the peace. Maybe your family should start? We are all products of our past but what good is survival if it clouds the present?
It isn't like we imagine a Nazi at every street corner. This overprotectiveness is something subconcious, and so is my lack of independence. Now that I realize that I'm not independent enough, I can take steps to change that.
Independence is a myriad challenge.
ReplyDelete