SAN DIEGO — I’d like to dedicate today’s Shabbat reflections to all of San Diego’s remaining Holocaust survivors, including the members of our New Life Club.
Tomorrow, January 27, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorates the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz Birkenau. It is a time to remember the millions of lives lost – Jewish and non – while reflecting on the lessons of our past and how we share them with future generations.
Over the past two years, Federation has been deeply engaged in better understanding our San Diego Jewish community. Through the Blueprint for Our Future Community Study, released late last year, we learned a great deal about the behaviors and attitudes of San Diego Jews. Over 80% participate in philanthropic giving and over 50% volunteer annually, indicating a strong belief in living out our values of tzedakah (charity) and gemilut hasadim (acts of loving kindness). And while 70% shared they were very concerned about rising global antisemitism, we are sure that number would be significantly higher if the same study were conducted today.
The majority of respondents – nearly 80% – said that being Jewish is important to how they think about themselves. And when asked “What is the meaning of being Jewish?”, the second most popular response was “Remembering the Holocaust.”
This can be interpreted in a variety of ways, from simply meaning that we as a people will never forget the atrocities that occurred, to implying some kind of action. What we know for sure, however, is that remembrance must include proactive education.
As more time passes and we get further away from the Holocaust, we are finding fewer and fewer young people who have any real understanding of how it began and how it was allowed to grow into one of the darkest moments in human history.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. Indeed, as I reflect this Shabbat on the importance of Holocaust education, I am reminded of my sixth grade English class at Muirlands Middle School in La Jolla and the day another student told our class that the Holocaust never happened.
At the time, I couldn’t believe anyone would say such a thing, let alone truly believe it. I shared my shock and dismay with my teacher, who then encouraged me to do something about it. Feeling empowered, I connected with local Holocaust survivor David Faber z”l and arranged for him to speak at a school-wide assembly. He showed the tattooed number on his arm, and bared witness for the millions killed during the Shoah.
Did he change the mind of the Holocaust-denying student? I don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter, because those hateful words unintentionally opened the door to educating the entire school, helping many others learn from this dark past.
At Federation, we are dedicated to ensuring a vibrant Jewish future, and part of this work includes continuing to learn from the past of our people and using those lessons to educate future generations.
Later this year, we will be announcing a comprehensive plan for Holocaust education in San Diego that centralizes the resources currently available by organizations like ADL and the Butterfly Project, while envisioning new approaches for teacher training, a public space memorial and mobile museum, and more.
In the meantime, I hope you will join us on May 5 at the Lawrence Family JCC | JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS for our Yom HaShoah Commemoration featuring author and speaker Mitch Albom.
Let us all remain resolute in our commitment to Never Forget.
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Darren Schwartz is the chief planning and strategy officer at the Jewish Federation of San Diego.