Dear {{first_name}}
Last week, I had the honor of speaking at the Boulder City Council and receiving the certificate signed Mayor Aaron Brockett declaring the adoption by Boulder's City Council of January 27th, 2023 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today is that day and cities all over the world are hosting events and broadcasts to honor this dark history and its millions of victims.
On January 27th 1945, the most infamous of concentration camps, Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated and this date was chosen as a commemoration by the international community. In Jewish communities, it is more common to observe
Yom HaShoah, or Y
om HaZikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah (Memorial Day for the Holocaust and acts of Heroism), to give the full name given by the Knesset in Israel and decalred as Nissan 27th on the Hebrew calendar. This date corresponds to the beginning of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (April 19th, 1943) and acknowledges the bravery and resistance as well as the slaughter. There is a striking difference between marking a liberation by Allied Forces on the one hand, and the start of a Jewish uprising on the other.
Until this year, I have always felt that as a Jewish community, it is much more important to observe Yom HaShoah on the Jewish calendar, but now, in the face of a frightening increase in antisemitism, I feel that it is also significant to support and acknowledge this day too, and I am grateful that the City of Boulder has joined so many other cities in honoring this day. The end of the declaration reads:
"While this period of dark history is over, antisemitism still plagues our society, fueling the same hatred and violence that charged World War II. As a city we condemn antisemitism, hatred and bigotry in all of its forms. We pledge to call out this prejudice in solidarity with our fellow Jewish community members. Such intolerance jeopardizes the well-being of us all."As good citizens, we are obligated to stand up and speak out when we witness hatred and bigotry and we hope that our non Jewish neighbors do the same for us in the face of hatred against Jews. Sadly, there are so many lessons that have not been absorbed or learned from the Holocaust and hate is alive and well.
Last Saturday night, I had the honor of participating in a reading of an incredibly powerful play called DIRT by Michael Kagan about the great escape of his father, Jack Kagan from the Norovodok Ghetto. Michael lives in Jerusalem and was in our sanctuary for this reading. We were both in tears as we retold this story.
You can watch the recording of DIRT on youtube here.At the end of June, I am going to be riding from Auschwitz to Krakow in the
Ride for the Living , supporting the JCC Krakow's work with contemporary Jews, as well their support of over 180,000 Ukrainian refugees. If you would like to sponsor this ride,
here is my team page. As we read the stories in Exodus of the liberation of our ancestors from the cruel slavery and the evil tryrant Pharoah's ever hardening heart, we also remember the deep pain of persecution and genocides throughout Jewish history and the histort of humanity. We strive to soften our own hearts and bring compassion to all the injustice, prejudice and persecution in our world.
May the memories of all who perished in the Holocaust be remembered for a blessing and may we be inspired by the stories of bravery and resilience.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Marc
