Holocaust Memorial Day
I’ve not marked Holocaust Memorial Day before but tonight I will be lighting a candle at 8pm to #lightthedarkness. I knew of the atrocity of the Holocaust and Hilter’s ambition to rid the planet of Jews, but I never studied it properly in school or read much about it. That is until I bought Corrie ten Boom’s book, The Hiding Place. Since then, and with the various lockdowns during the pandemic giving me more free time, I have read books about that dark period in our world’s history and also watched movies related to the second World War.
My fascination has not been in the cruelty of the Nazi Gestapo operation rather in the stories of courage and hope that saw people try and help others through a difficult and incomprehensible period.
Although not a Jew, Corrie and her family hid Jews out of their Christian compassion and Casper and Betsie ended up paying the ultimate sacrifice by losing their lives. Remarkably a survivor of Ravensbruck concentration camp, Corrie was able to share her story and in it, the disturbing and horrific treatment they received there. Almost one and a half million people died in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Over the course of WWII, six million Jews were killed.
The mind cannot truly perceive the immensity of this and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust recognise this with their 2022 theme - One Day. They are encouraging people to focus in on one particular day in history and learn about that day. It was on 27 January 1945 that Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated and hence why today is chosen to remember and reflect.
Whilst I knew a little about the cruelty of concentration camps, I was less aware of the ghettos that were set up. It was only when researching Irena Sendler’s story of courage did I realise the brutality of life in enclosed spaces, not just in Warsaw but in many cities and towns across Poland and Eastern Europe. Living conditions were poor, food was scarce and Jews were dehumanised, locked in by walls and gates armed by guards 24/7. As a social worker, Irena tried her best to smuggle children out via various means but it was a risky business.
Might I suggest that you read one story - when you read one person’s account or story, it reminds you of the grief, the hurt and the loss their family would undergo and so I would encourage you to read something or even watch a movie to understand a little of the persecution of the Jews and how some people, despite the difficulties, had the courage to try and help.
Here are some suggestions:
Corrie ten Boom, The Hiding Place (book and film)
The courageous heart of Irena Sendler (film)
Irena’s Children by Tilar J Mazzeo (book)
Schindler’s List (film)
The Zookeeper’s Wife (film)
My family, the Holocaust and me Robert Rinder (BBC iPlayer)
Holocaust Memorial Day also remembers the genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Decades on, it is important for us to examine our attitude to others, how we treat them, which is best done in treating others the way we would like to be treated. Why not light a candle tonight at 8pm to #lightthedarkness.
You can also read my blog item on Oskar Schindler here.