Op/Ed: Identity-based hatred should have no place in this world

Amy McVay Abbott
·3 min read

A 14-year-old boy made his way to the podium.

The speaker, a nationally known author, had come to Indiana to discuss the Holocaust and why it still matters today. She spoke to more than 2,000 middle and high school students.

"Thank you for coming," the young man said. "This is the first I've ever heard of the Holocaust."

Out of a child's mouth, this anecdote illustrates a larger problem.

When I was a child, every little girl read "The Diary of Anne Frank" in junior high. Our parents had been children during World War II remembering the horrors. Six million Jews were persecuted, tortured and killed by the state-sponsored Nazis. People in my childhood frequently said, "Never again," meaning that humankind must not persecute and murder a group based on their identity.

Yet, the world is rife with terrorism and genocide, as evidenced by the conflict in early October when Hamas militants attacked Israel, torturing, kidnapping and killing innocent Jews.

Never again, and yet it happens, over and over.

As a Christian, I've struggled to understand the 1,000-year hatred of people of the Jewish faith. What can we do to support our Jewish friends? We can all take two paths, regardless of our faith, tradition or political beliefs:

Support Hoosier organizations working on Holocaust issues

  • The Committee to Promote Respect in Schools (Cypress) is an Evansville-based group working since 1999 to educate the community — and primarily children — about the Holocaust and other social justice issues.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne offers a degree program specializing in Holocaust and genocide studies in the state and has recently published The Holocaust and Other Genocides: A Research Guide. Indiana University has a Jewish studies program with specialists on the Holocaust.

  • The Indianapolis JCRC offers an array of resources and events in support of Israel and the Jewish people.

  • The late Eva Kor was a prolific speaker about her experiences as a child in the Holocaust. She and her sister were subject to the brutal "twin" experiments of Nazi doctor Josef Mengele. The CANDLES Museum in Terre Haute commemorates her story.

Listen with an open heart and stillness

I received permission from Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, Temple Beth El of northern Westchester, New York, to use his quote after a friend shared an article the rabbi wrote.

"If you want to demonstrate your support, you can simply ask us how we are doing. And if we don't want to speak now, you can sit with us in silence, and we will know you are here. Just know that we are experiencing trauma and that the sights we have witnessed will never be forgotten. We pray that all is done so that such things are never seen again." - on behalf of a mournful Jewish people, Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe.

Amber Maze, senior associate with the Indianapolis Jewish Community Resource Center (JCRC), noted that this is the 25th year of the State of Indiana Holocaust Remembrance Program with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission. This public event is scheduled for noon on Jan. 25 at the Indiana Statehouse.

"In Hebrew, L'dor V'dor means from generation to generation," said Maze. "There are many days of Holocaust remembrance, including the Yom HaShoah service. (The next one is May 6, 2024. Also, Kristallnacht or the Night of Broken Glass is remembered on Nov. 9 this year.)

"Remembrance days highlight the importance of keeping the stories and memories alive in our minds as we tell our children. We don't forget, and hopefully, these days instill within future generations the importance of humanity and speaking out when witnessing others experiencing identity-based hatred."

Amy Abbott is a freelance journalist and author in southern Indiana.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Op/Ed: How to make 'Never again' a reality for our Jewish friends