Today is April 21st, 2009 and marks the day of Yom Ha’shoah which is the Holocaust Remembrance Day.
I am ashamed to admit that I almost forgot this day amidst my school work. Then, luckily Good Girl Gone Blog wrote a post about it. Please head over there and read her post fully.
I went to Israel last May and I took much knowledge back with me to the United States. One thing was a full description of this day and what happens in Israel. I’m not going to go in depth because Good Girl Gone Blog already posted about it from her firsthand experience.
For my post, I am going to discuss this picture from the Holocaust Museum. I have seen it many times:
When I saw this posted at the museum in Israel, the leader emphasized his eyes. What was he thinking? He was about to be shot and he knew his body would soon be amongst the body’s beneath him. Think about the photographer. The pictures you see throughout the Holocaust were basically so they could have evidence of their “success” in whiping out jews and others who weren’t up to “their standard”. This picture would have gone in a museum and Nazi’s would have been proud to show it.
It makes me sick.
I can’t believe there are people who believe the Holocaust was a fake and all made up – even though it happened less than 70 years ago. This isn’t something that happened in the 1600′s that no one can get right… this was recent. We have generations that are still dealing with the PAIN and suffering from this horrific event!
It makes me want to throw up. This is where history is important: It must not repeat itself. We need to share what happened to our children, and their children, and so forth. It makes me sad to know that my proud Jewish grandfather recently passed away. His stories must now be passed on to future generations. I will not let him down.
Thankfully, my family was not involved in the Holocaust first hand (as far as we know). However the side of the family who is Jewish was affected in other ways – obviously.
Let’s not let this be just a day – instead let it be a reminder to ALWAYS remember.
Julie
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Sidenote: http://tinyurl.com/d554eq
Go there. YOU HAVE TO!
Katie’s last blog post..Ex-tremely Wrong
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i’ve always loved learning more about the holocaust and the history behind it. this was a great post!
cavy’s last blog post..the one in which i express my love for an inanimate object
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in high school, we had a Holocaust survivor come and talk to us about his experiences. I have no idea why he came to our small town to talk to a group of 10th graders, but i am forever grateful.
He emphasized several times that we must never become complacent–complacency lead to this tragedy.
kd’s last blog post..Monday, Mondayyy
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When I lived in Poland, I took a class on the Holocaust (though had studied it quite a bit prior to that) and went to Auschwitz throughout the semester. I’ve now been there about a dozen times and each time I went was a little harder then before, because you know what you are about to see, but there is still no way to prepare yourself for it.
I think I may go to the Holocaust Museum after work today….
Lexi’s last blog post..suit up!
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Thanks for sharing this, it was really touching. Our little old lady neighbor in NY actually went through the Holocaust…it makes me shudder everytime I think about it.
Aartee’s last blog post..Give Away
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Julie – thank you so so much for writing this post. Somehow, it slipped my mind that yesterday was Holocaust Remembrance Day. I have no idea how. I have so many relatives who were affected by the Holocaust…and it is something I think about regularly. Just wanted to say thanks for bringing it to light in blogland.
Mrs. Smith’s last blog post..Sob
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I’ve always wanted to go to Israel. People that don’t think the Holocaust happened are not sane. xoxo
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Thanks for posting about Holocaust Rememberance Day. I know some whose lives were affected by it and it touches my heart to know them in a very personal way!
Marci’s last blog post..It’s All About The Threesome
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I cried almost the entire 3 hours that I was in the Holocaust Museum. So disturbing that humans can be so cruel!!
Jackie’s last blog post..Name the Boatman Geller Preppy Gator!
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That photo (and all photos of the holocaust) are so painful to look at. We must ALL remember those that suffered, and how ignorance and hate led to something so disgusting.
I’m not sure if you saw the Oprah with Eli Wiesel (hope I spelled that right). Oprah and Eli went to Auschwitz. There was this area filled with shoes. Shoes that mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, grandparents, etc. all wore. And in the scheme of things, this wasn’t that long ago.
What’s so sad is, things are (almost) this horrible in parts of the world right now. Breaks my heart.
Thank you for writing this post today.
danielle’s last blog post..40,000 hits and a giveaway!
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