In some way, just like the gate stands
today in the middle, all of us are in the
middle of something as well. We know
the facts, we know what happened, but
the most important part still lies ahead:
realizing the significance of those facts,
of the Shoah and of the whole genocidal
policy of the Third Reich. Without this
awareness, we cannot hope for more
responsibility.
Why is this immensity of Birkenau
so significant?
Because it is authentic. To walk along
the unloading ramp, to go inside a brick
barracks, to silently look at the undress-
ing room next to the gas chambers —
this is much more than any exhibition in
the world or the most elaborate memo-
rial. Provided, of course, that one has
previous knowledge of history.
The several thousand people attend-
ing will include also state delegations:
politicians, people who transform the
contemporary world. Can Auschwitz
be a lesson for them as well?
Auschwitz is a lesson for anyone
willing to learn. You might think that
the scope of responsibility of a normal,
average person is normal and average as
well. And that a politician or a decision-
maker bears far greater responsibility.
That's not entirely true. A vast majority
of the Righteous Among the Nations
are normal people, average, you could
say, if not for their enormous sacrifice.
Nevertheless, in a substantive way they
saved the face of humanity. Of course,
the influence of a decision a politician
makes is disproportionally larger. But
it cannot exempt any of us from taking
our own responsibility.
Do you see any universal message
coming from this place?
The message comes from the sur-
vivors, from their memoirs, books,
recordings. The message comes also
from the silence of the murdered ones. I
would like to recall the voice of a person
who did not survive, a prisoner of the
Sonderkommando, one of the leaders
of the revolt in crematorium IV — the
voice of a Polish Jew, Zalmen Gradowski.
In his notes, which he hid in the
ground near the building of the cre-
matorium, he wrote: "We have a dark
premonition, because we know:' At that
time, he meant the fate of his friends
taken into an unknown direction. But
I would not want to narrow down the
meaning of these unsettling words just
to that. We today also know; we know
perfectly well. Nothing is given forever.
We must always be able to sense grow-
ing dangers and great challenges of the
future. And in place of inactivity and
passivity, we must develop a sense of
responsibility. Remembering is not only
about the past itself, but rather about
connecting it to the future. ❑

A Taste Of Tunis When
It Was A Jewish City
The community is invited to par-
ticipate in the next in the series
of "Different Cultures Different
Foods" programs 2:30-4 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 8, at Keter Torah
Synagogue in West Bloomfield.
Sylvie Jami Salei, a Tunis-born
Jew, will focus on traditional
Tunisian cuisine and her fam-
ily's history and expulsion from
Tunis.
Enjoy tasting her favorite
Tunisian meal, with desserts
and drinks. The cost is $8 per
person. Program co-sponsors are
StandWithUs-Michigan, Greater
Detroit Chapter of Hadassah,
National Council of Jewish
Women-Greater Detroit Section,
Zionist Organization of America-
Michigan Region and Keter
Torah.
RSVP by Feb. 5 to Rabbi
Sasson Natan at (248) 681-3665
or email JRefugees1948@gmail.
corn.

Cast Your Vote Now For
World Zionist Congress
Many Jews around the world are
unaware that they are entitled
to a voice about Israel's future.
That voice is the World Zionist
Congress, which meets every
four years in Jerusalem with
the mandate to fund programs
and create policies that will help
achieve the goals of the Jewish
people as a whole.
The congress was initially set
up by Theodor Herzl and led
directly to the establishment of
the State of Israel. It has been a
partner with the government of
Israel since that time, but very
few Jews know that they have a
chance to speak up through their
democratic vote.
The voting takes place Jan.
14-April 30. Every Jewish person
over age 18 is entitled to vote for
the slate of his or her choice.
As with the first Zionist
Congress held in 1897, there is a
nominal charge to vote (current-
ly $5 for persons under the age
of 30 and $10 for those above the
age of 30). The charge is used to
defray the costs of the election.
To vote, go to the website
https://www.myvoteourisrael.
com/Home.

— Times of Israel

MY
PROMISE;
LAND

a conversation with

ARI SHAVIT

Israeli author
and Ha'aretz journalist

January 27, 7:30 PM, Michigan Union

For more information and to RSVP
go to: michiganhillel.org/ari-shavit

HILLEL

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

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