Yom HaShoah

This Sunday is Yom Hazikkaron LaShoah, Hebrew for Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s shortened to Yom HaShoah. As you can imagine, it’s an emotional time. Although it’s hard to fathom or understand anything so horrible, the Holocaust must always be remembered by the world, in all its details, lest it happen again. By remembering we counteract what Hitler did.

There are articles out there written by Jews who survived the Holocaust with their belief in God still intact, and they are inspiring as they admit that though they don’t understand how it could have happened, they still trust in Him. “Even if He kills me, I will still trust in Him,” says Job 13:15, and that expresses their exact sentiments. I encourage you this Sunday to reflect on and learn about the Holocaust, a part of what you can do to keep its memory, and the memory of the millions who perished, alive … and to state your opposition to Hitler’s purposes.

May we never forget, and may we always be faithful to speak out against injustice.

 

Daniel Ullrich, Threedots, Wikimedia Commons

A bit different than my usual posts, I know, but I felt the need to solemnize the day. There are numerous resources about the Holocaust … what have you found to be the most meaningful? Here’s my list:

The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom
The Seamstress, Sara Tuvel Bernstein
Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
The Devil’s Arithmetic, Jane Yolen
Remembrance and Repentance, Daniel Hennessy
The Borrowed House, Hilda van Stockum