Inspiration from Zion: This is a Love Story

The Polish government seems to have gone insane.  For some reason, it has, in their mind, recently become imperative to change the way Poland is mentioned in connection with the Holocaust.

Unfortunately, the reaction of a number of Israeli politicians has not been helpful.

The Polish government is not denying the Holocaust, (as a number of Israeli politicians have said), they are denying their responsibility for their part in the Holocaust.

No one was as diabolically ingenious as the Germans in orchestrating the genocide of the Jewish people. There is no question about this.

At the same time, there is no escape from responsibility for all the Nations who aided, abetted, participated with enthusiasm or simply remained silent about the abuse, torture and murder of Jews.

There is no shirking the historic responsibility of the Polish people who participated (many of them gleefully) in the murder of Jews.

The other Nations of Europe have their own levels of responsibility – for turning in their neighbors, for remaining silent when others came to take their neighbors, for hiding their own neighbors but turning in Jews who came searching for refuge from neighboring countries.

They are all responsible.

As are the British for not allowing the Jews to escape to Palestine.

As are Americans for knowing the Holocaust was taking place and doing nothing. For turning away Jewish refugees who managed to reach America – sending them back to Europe to their deaths.

We must insist on historical truth.

It is our responsibility to the murdered to make sure history is not distorted. This is not an issue of blame, it is an issue of responsibility and of telling the truth. Without the truth, the lessons cannot be learned. Without responsibility, the door is open for the horrors of the past to be repeated.

The sins of the fathers do not stain the children – unless the children deny them.

We must never forget. The future of the Jewish People depends on it as does the decency of humankind.