I think any teaching of the Holocaust should focus at least as much, and possibly more, on how the Holocaust sits in us today, how it shapes Jews and Jews in community and communities of Jews... how it shapes our identity and agendas, either consciously or unconsciously, how it makes us a community of fear rather than of faith; this aspect as much as the historical material – what happened etc etc.
The graves at Rookwood/ made me feel heavy / too see the inscriptions: "
" Joseph ben Lipe Joel Katz shot in Bendzin 1939
Shprinca bat Shmuel Brandis and family, perished in Aushwitz August 1943
and the thoughts were
how could they do this /
people are unbelievably cruel and vicious
it could happen again
only the thinnest veneer of self interested politeness separates us from this
the murderous monster of resentment can arise in a moment
so that neighbours of twenty years suddenly greet us with insults and spittle rage
and so on
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