Last evening marked the beginning of the 24-hour Holocaust Remembrance Day, or in Hebrew, Yom Hashoah. This is a solemn day to remember the six million Jews murdered by the Nazi regime before and during WWII. What began as localized persecution and segregation of Jews, many of whom had integrated into the fabric of their European countries, became violent and murderous. Eventually this was brought to a horrific crescendo in the Final Solution, the systematic extermination of millions simply because they were Jews.
We are aware that anti-Judaism has existed for hundreds of years, often enabled or perpetrated by Christians. The Nazis were the most ruthless and efficient. As chilling as it is, I feel that everyone should watch the film, The Zone of Interest, about the commandant of Auschwitz who lived alongside the camp where millions were killed in a lovely home with his wife and children.
It's important to remember today that many countries, including Canada, ignored the plight of Jews during the war. And after 1945 anti-Jewish stereotypes and segregation continued in many European countries, including Great Britain. When we lived in Innisfil, south of Barrie, there was a park on Lake Simcoe with a wrought iron entrance. Long-timers told me that the gap beneath the name had once proclaimed "No Jews Allowed."
We are in a moment when anti-Jewish anger and prejudice are on the rise again in many parts of the world. Many are choosing to conflate the military actions of the state of Israel in Gaza and the West Bank with the Jewish religion, everywhere. This is a disturbing and growing trend which emboldens the haters.
I don't understand why the United Church has not encouraged its members to boldly acknowledge this remembrance day, given the uncertainty many Jews in this country feel. As followers of Yeshua the Jew, the Risen Christ we proclaim as the Prince of Peace, it is vital that we do so.
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