Yom Hashoah's Meaning
Is Not Just For Jews

RABBI MARC H. TANENBAUM

Special to The Jewish News

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22

FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1989

nce a liberal Chris-
tian "friend" bluntly
asked me, "Why do
the Jews observe every year
this Yom Hashoah? Isn't that
obsessive? Can't the Jews ever
forget and forgive?"
That was not an isolated
comment. One hears versions
of it among Christians — in-
cluding Christians of genuine
good will — from time to time.
However infuriating such
insensitivity can be, I believe
that there is a constant
obligation for Jews to help the
non-Jewish world understand
that Yom Hashoah holds pro-
found meaning for Jews, but
also for mankind.
The Holocaust singled out
only the Jewish people for
total extermination by the
Nazis, but thinking Chris-
tians must continue to
understand their stake in

Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum is
international consultant for
the American Jewish
Committee.

coming to terms with the

Nazis' barbarism.
The Holocaust represented
a total breakdown in the
moral universe of Germany,
Austria and their allies — all
countries of ancient Christian
civilization.
This systematic murder
machine was organized not by
"crazies and psychos," but by
some of the most celebrated
Ph.D.s, industrialists, scien-
tists and engineers.
It was a supreme act of
demonization and dehu-
manization of Jews and
others in our century.
Today, the international
community is becoming filled
with fanatic regimes who con-
trol chemical and biological
warfare as well as nuclear
missiles. There is also a
growing tendencies to
"dehumanize" and "mon-
sterize" the enemy, in the
mode of the Nazis'
dehumanization of the Jews.
Serious people who wish to
learn from history have as
much at stake in understan-
ding the profound import of
Yom Hashoah as do the
Jews. ❑

I NEWS I

Rabbi's Trial Is Politics,
Right Wing Says

Jerusalem (JTA) - The
Israeli political community is
preparing for what could be
the celebrated political trial
of the year, when Rabbi
Moshe Levinger faces charges
of manslaughter before a
Jerusalem District Couft
bench.
No date has yet been set for
the hearing. But in the wake
of the formal indictment
issued last week, right-wing
politicians have been quick to
brand the decision to pro-
secute "tendentious" and
politically motivated.
Knesset member Geula
Cohen, of the Thhiya party,
asserted that political con-
siderations were behind the
decision to charge Levinger
with manslaughter for the
shooting of an Arab
shopkeeper in Hebron last
Sept. 30.
The Justice Ministry coldly
dismissed the charges and im-
putations of political in-
fluence in the decision to
prosecute.
The indictment says Lev-
inger and his family were
stoned in their car while driv-
ing through downtown
Hebron. They stopped and

complained to army person-
nel. But then Levinger drew

his revolver and began advan-
cing up a busy street, firing
as he went.
Levinger is also charged
with causing wanton damage
to property along the street.
He is said to have overturned
several stalls belonging to
Arab merchants. Levinger is
conidererd one fo the foremost
leaders of Gush Emunim, the
militant religious settlers
movement.

Kelly, ilurner
To Host Auction

Temple Beth El will hold an
auction with hosts John Kel-
ly and Marilyn Turner of
"Kelly & Company" despite
the program's broadcast of a
controversial segment on
Hitler's birthday.

The April 20 "Kelly & Com-
pany" featured a Holocaust
survivor and a former
member of the Hitler Youth.
Jewish community leaders
were angered by WXYZ-TV's
decision to air the show the
first day of Passover.