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On this day in 1945 the Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated. To commemorate this liberation, we observe Holocaust Remembrance Day or Yom Hashoah on the 27th of January. This day reminds us how the forces of hatred and fear can incite sectarian violence that ripples through generations. This day reminds us to honor the people affected by genocide around the world, and pledge to stop genocide whenever it arises. It is important to take a moment in our busy life and remember the violence that was inflicted on our ancestors and others effected by genocide.
If you are looking for a way to observe the holiday, the United States Holocaust Museum will be posting speeches from Holocaust survivors and stories about those who were lost. The event will be posted here on their website to be viewed at your convenience. Their website also provides a wealth of resources that one can browse to reflect on the music, culture, documents, art, etc. from the lost communities of the Holocaust.
If you are a parent looking for resources to teach your kids about the Holocaust, this essay in Parenting Magazine by Tyler Gidlin provides ample motivation to make sure we teach our children wisely about the Holocaust. According to Gidlin, “A recent survey of Americans between the ages of 18 and 39 found that 23 percent of respondents said they believed the Holocaust was a myth, or had been exaggerated. Nearly half of all respondents said they have seen Holocaust denial or distortion posts on social media or elsewhere online. And worst of all: 1 in 8 (12 percent) said they had definitely not heard or didn’t think they had heard about the Holocaust.” It is a tough topic to broach to be sure, but as we get farther removed from the generations who experienced it first hand, it becomes more important to hold onto the lessons that were learned during this terrible event in our history.
The Reconstructionist movement provides a wealth of resources to reflect on the holiday including prayers, rituals, and readings. You can find them here on Ritualwell. Here is an excerpt from the website, a poem by By B. E. (Betti) Kahn:
Ritual
By B.E. (Betti) Kahn
So many voids
the world full of them.
Unknown relatives
in mass graves.
Or did they survive?
Still lost to family here.
Their bones, in the vast
ritual of music unplayed,
like violin bows taut.
All our unstrung lives
saved by utterance.
Previously published in Poetry Super Highway, Annual Yom Hashoah Issue, 2010
May their memory be for a blessing.
