With greater acceptance in mainstream America, many Jews felt that traditional manifestations of Jewish identity were, well, kind of uncool. While sill tenaciously maintaining their identity, Jews needed something with which to anchor it - and there ya go, the Holocaust fit the bill perfectly! Of course it is important to honor your dead, but often times Jews use the Holocaust as the central tenet of their identities, as if before the Holocaust, there was no good reason to be a Jew. Consequently Jewish communal resources are inordinately dedicated to Holocaust-based organizations, Museums and memorials. Is it any wonder that newer generations of Jews are uninterested in an identity based on virtual necrophilia? But still, that Holocaust train keeps a chuggin’ along!
Remembering The Holocaust
April 5, 2008 · 4 Comments
Categories: SJPL
Tagged: Holocaust, Jewish Identity
4 responses so far ↓
Swede // May 7, 2008 at 2:03 am
What is significant about remembering the Shoah is not that it was a disgusting chapter in world history against the Jewish people but that it is a repulsive chain of events in our Western tradition. Germany was a civilized, developed country, one whose culture and tolerance attracted the large numbers of, among many groups, the Jews. Furthermore, to disregard that the sophistication of the German engineering used to murder was one of the most vile abuses of technology in history is to me just wrong. The millions of people (Jews, Roma, homosexuals, handicapped among many others) died not because they were Jewish, Roma or homosexual but because of arbitrary legislation and administrative decision. The NEED for the state of Israel is testament to this systematic failure of Europe to protect its minorities, something which the continent still grapples with yet today.
To say that the “Holocaust train keeps a chuggin’ along” is to me either an ignorant or gross reference to the train system that transported the millions of innocent Germans, French, Polish and other Europeans that happened to be Jewish to their death. I respectfully ask that you seriously reconsider your interpretation of what the “Holocaust” meant not just to Jews but also to the entirety of the Western world.
Ahmed Fathy // May 18, 2008 at 7:56 pm
“Of course it is important to honor your dead, but often times Jews use the Holocaust as the central tenet of their identities, as if before the Holocaust”
100% .. I’ve wondered about that too .. why don’t jews mention something horrible in their history like Spanish Inquisition in 1400s??
What about the Babylonian exile ??
Like if these events were nothing!!
nice article
Princess of Power // June 2, 2008 at 4:39 am
“100% .. I’ve wondered about that too .. why don’t jews mention something horrible in their history like Spanish Inquisition in 1400s??
What about the Babylonian exile ??
Like if these events were nothing!!”
Jews do mention other horrible things in their history. Through out the year we even officially remember some of them during the holidays (eg. Channukah, Passover). However, the Holocaust is more prominent in our consciousness because it happened so recently. Some of us are still living with grandparents or parents who survived and are still tormented with the memories. It is so much a part of our identity because we are still living with it.
Truth Sojourner // June 19, 2008 at 3:18 am
Swede,
Very well said. Amen.
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