Shoah 2011

repeated with updates from previous posts

Tomorrow is Yom Ha'Shoah, the day of remembering the Holocaust.

The University of Southern California has a Shoah Foundation Institute.  You could honor the day by making a donation, or by exploring the resources there.

I will honor the day by re-reading the The Diary of Anne Frank,  Why that?   It was by reading the book that I learned that the Jews were annihilated in Europe.    I know I was younger than she was when she wrote the book, so it was before 1964.  It may have been assigned to my older sister, or one of my older cousins.

Roma woman with Nazi soldiers*; image source.

My family, my ancestors, being American citizens for three to five generations before 1941,  being not Jewish (that I know), being renegade Mormons in some branches, being otherwise Christian,  didn't know anyone who died in the camps, let alone losing loved ones.    My male relatives -- my father and uncles -- all served in the Navy or if in the European theater, were far from the camps.

I also honor the day by thinking of those who opposed the Germans.   

I honor the day by reciting Pastor Niemoller's confession:  (Wikipedia here)

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Kommunist.

Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.

Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,
habe ich nicht protestiert;
ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.

Als sie die Juden holten,
habe ich nicht protestiert;
ich war ja kein Jude.

Als sie mich holten,
gab es keinen mehr, der protestierte.

Translation:
First the Nazis came…
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Remember to speak out.

=========
*Don't forget, the Rom were subject to persecution before the Nazis came to power, but the Nazis were more efficient.   The Nazis exterminated the Rom as well as the Jews.