Image: John Macdougall, AFP Via Getty Images
Dear Tanenbaum Community,
Elie Wiesel, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and Holocaust survivor, once said, “Action is the only remedy to indifference.”
Understanding how the Holocaust deeply impacts Jews globally can strengthen our collective empathy about the human experience.
Holocaust Remembrance Day commemorates the millions of Jewish lives taken by systematic religious violence, as well as the millions of others persecuted for their sexual orientation, ethnicity, and physical disabilities. It is a moment to examine where we are today, where triumphs in interfaith collaboration exist despite ongoing wars and tensions with religion and ethnicity at the epicenter.
In times of conflict, the lessons of history can be a tool towards peace. Learning about the Holocaust is not only vital to understanding the Jewish experience, but critical to understanding the consequences of hate. When we understand the consequences of hate, we can work together to identify and combat prejudice before it escalates.
I am reminded that learning about the history of a people creates more opportunities for connection across our differences. Holocaust Remembrance Day is for the Jewish community, and for us all.
In commemoration,
Rev. Mark Fowler, CEO, Tanenbaum
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