Holocaust Memory: Not for Jews Only

Rabbi Brad,

I couldn't agree with you more.

Surely each category of victim has its own special story which should always be remembered and told.

In the memory of the world, the magnitude of the crime against Jews will not be lost or diminished just because other victims are remembered too.

But the crime against the Rroma and Sinti is barely known by the huge majority of people who are aware of the crime against Jews.

And alongside those enormous crimes, my "family" (homosexuals) were also sent to the camps simply because of their identity, not because of their actions. And while survivors of certain classes of victims qualified for reparations, that was not the case for my "family" because the postwar German government and courts decided that OUR identity had been legitimately outlawed.

Add to that the political prisoners of various sorts.

Yes, the treatment of and ultimate intentions toward each group were different. But the magnitude of Nazi crimes is never made to appear less by acknowledging what they did but only by refusing to do so.

Peace,
Paul

Dear Rabbi Brad,
Thank you for this article, it seems sad that one would say that my suffering was so much worse that yours, so to that end we won't mention yours.
That said, Rroma,Sinti Gypsies,Homosexuals,Jehova Witneses,Poles, physically handicapped,mentally handicapped,Righteous Ones ( who hid Jews) Deemed memtally deficient,by in a realationship with a Jew. Yes we lost 6 million of our families,how can we forget that the other 5 million lost their families as well !?
Thank YOU Again,&Shalom,
Shoshana

OMG in Heaven? To argue the point of suffering from being a holocaust victim is disheartening at best? The gentiles that died as well, is obviously horrible as well? But there is no end to that suffering from the targeting of Jewish people to this day? People are still invoking evil upon the Jewish people? Look at Mel Gibson and his display of hatred! Moreover we as humans? All humans should respect the people who have withstood that horrifying time in history, and realize it is an ongoing open wound? Trauma is a difficult thing to combat within oneself and in others? But to argue with someone that is a survivor of those hideous sub-human death camps is dispicable! That person is in denial? The obvious is which one was of them is right? I believe that they both are? Both suffer and both need to get a big hug? It is a shame to think you suffer more than the rest of us, but obviously, he feels he did, and he feels strongly enough to emphasize the fact that Jewish people were targeted? He is not wrong to tell the truth? But he is wrong to say that the gentiles did not suffer as much? Either way all suffered from that horrifying War, and in America we pronounce it well for our Soldiers memory is sacred who fought and died to free those prisoners, along with the British, etc? Shameful we have to argue about these things, we can resolve it by saying it was all wrong, and that the cruelty like that will never be repeated, preventing any more Holocausts to happen! Steven Speilberg as you know gave the money from the film Schindlers List to the prevention of any more Holocaust? And yet you have Mel Gibson with all his money and he hates Jews? But he has not donated a dime into that fund! He is a hater! And they exist, against anyone anywhere, it is a disease of the mind? And Mel Gibson's mind has been proved in a court unstable from his apparent alchoholism? However that is not the reason he hates Jews, he was raised to hate them as many others have een raised to hate Jews, Arabs, Blacks, Irish, etc? I would think the compassion should go where the trauma is? And to see further to examine the possibilities of the statements that were made to have more than two meanings here? In defense of the Jewish survivor I think he is protecting his people for the future, and no one complains about the African American defending and isolating for their culture and remembering the lynchings and cross burnings, and tortures? There were many whitemen, chinese, etc., that were killed in the same way but all and all no one denies the Black issues as much as they do the Jews? All the denials? and then all the touting about hatred for Jews? No one seems to donate or defend the Jews in number but the Jews? Even our President feels he can dictate policy to the country of Israel about the settlements? Appeasing the enemy with Poland all over again was the Gaza Strip to begin with! I think the gentiles are in denial and that they need to work side by side with the Jews and maybe then the Jewish people will include them? Did anyone ever think of that and also why is it that they don't boycott movies by Mel Gibson? To help heal our society of Hatred? Why is it that the gentiles will join the Black movements in number and the Arab movements against the Jews? And to say it is a commodity like the Jewish man is selling his pain? Was a really cruel thing to say, for it was the Gentile that took the money and the gold from the teeth from the Jewish people in those camps! How dare he say that to anyone? However how many Jews are on Welfare? And why does everyone think they are rich? I rest my case!!!!