Thought for the Day: Holocaust Memorial Day
“Of What Value Is Memory If It Does Not Move Us To Action In the Present?”
Good morning.
Harry Olmer MBE, once said: “For decades, I have shared my story. I tell young people about the 6 million men, women and children who were murdered because they were Jewish. I tell them about my family, my friends, and my community. So few of us survived the Holocaust and made it to safety in Britain. But who will tell my story in the future? Who will remember the Jews of Europe and what happened when hatred took over?”
Harry passed away 12 days ago. A survivor of multiple concentration camps. He came to England after the war. Here he recuperated in Windermere along with 300 other young people known as The Boys. In 1954, he was conscripted into the British Army and served in Germany. He went on to have a family and a long career in dentistry. Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, when we recognise that, like so many other Holocaust survivors, Harry’s deepest concern was the possibility that the world might forget the indescribable depths of inhumanity they and their families suffered. That is why, for decades, survivors like Harry have stood in classrooms and community halls providing living testimony.
But the number of Holocaust survivors is rapidly diminishing. Soon, there will be none left to correct distortion or challenge denial with a simple but powerful declaration: “I was there.” But that’s not all. Many of the remaining survivors are distraught to see that antisemitism is once again rising sharply. And this begs the question: Of what value is memory if it does not move us to action in the present?
In the Bible, the term zachor, meaning remember, never means passive recall. For example, in the Ten Commandments, the instruction “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy” calls us to actively participate in inspirational Sabbath activities at home and in synagogue. Jewish memory is not something we think, but something we do. The granting of Royal Assent last week to the Holocaust Memorial Bill was a significant moment for our country, reflecting a clear national commitment to remembrance and to ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are not forgotten.
This memorial and learning center will inspire us to actively confront antisemitism, hatred and indifference wherever they appear. The lessons of the Holocaust call upon us to proactively inspire future generations to fight apathy and injustice, and to stand up against prejudice and evil. Harry Olmer said, “As a Holocaust survivor, I am asking you to share my story today, and when I am gone.” Now it’s our turn to do so.
