Auschwitz

(Originally posted June 18th, 2006)

Last week I woke up to a nightmare - I dreamed I was in Auschwitz when it was liberated by the allied forces. In the dream Auschwitz didn't look like Auschwitz, it looked more like Warsaw Ghetto.

I never had such dreams before. I wonder why I had it now. I believe it has to do with an e-mail I got last week. It shows a mock-up party invitation clip with images from Auschwitz. Some dutch guy thought it funny.

I am all for dark humor, and we in Israel often tell 'holocaust jokes'. But, for one thing, these jokes are easier to hear from Jews but not so funny when they come from others. Also, this one just had really bad taste to it. It really made me feel disgusted. You can see for yourselves here.

I don't know what to think of this incident (For the record, the guy who did it apologized and was sentenced to 40 hours of labour). I believe that it wasn't anti-semitism. I think it's just ignorance and incapacity to understand the past, the present, and hence the future. If people are unable to understand the sensitivity and significance of such horrors we shouldn't be surprized should such horrors happen again.

I believe that a second holocaust can happen. We've seen it happening in Rwanda, but it was easier for the west to accept (or rather, ignore), because it was third-world wars. I do believe that a holocaust can happen again in Europe or USA. Racism is widespread even the the most 'civilized' of nations. This is why I will never leave Israel. This is the only place where I can be me, rather than 'the Jew'.

The Iranian president's recent declerations calling for the destruction of Israel also make my mind work overtime.

It's quite amazing how the holocaust still haunts us, third generation to the holocaust. This might explain why so many Israelis fear our neighbouring Arab countries and refuse to give peace a chance (excuse the lame quote...).

I hope that when I have children I'd be able to pass to them some of the emotions that the holocaust rises in me. Yet, I would like them to know that a change can be made, that evil begets evil, and that people are not born evil.