Shoa Mem'ries

Monday was Yom HaShoa, Holocaust Remembrance day, and my homey Young Hebrew Brother sent me this: "20 Photos that Change the Holocaust Narrative." The photos themselves and the stories behind them all really have a "wow" quality. it got me thinkin about the role of the Holocaust in my own narrative.

I remember Yom HaShoa Day at Jewish Day School. They took us to this assembly in the gym and a lot of the teachers were just crying. I think the only other time I've ever seen a teacher cry was when Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. it's like when you realize your parents are real people, which for me happened about a week ago.

i was in the choir (i know, i know. shout out to Ravid) and at the assembly we sang this song that all my classmates will remember but that non-Jews probably have never heard. it's kinda JewPower'ed out. It goes: "think of the grandfather you never kissed / all of the relatives that you have missed / first raise your voice and then raise your fist / and tell the world 'never again.'" it goes harder: "memories as they grow older/ tend to grow colder, then disappear/ though you never met me, you must remember me/ now that I'm gone."

THAT'S SOME HEAVY SH*T MAN!

i mean for real. not just teaching the younger generation about the Holocaust, but teachin THE OBLIGATION TO REMEMBER the Holocaust. it reminds me of the Passover obligation to feel as if "you personally" were liberated from slavery in Egypt. My Saba always adds at the Seder, "as if you personally came out of Egypt, and out of Auschwitz." I think that's not uncommon.

recently, I visited my Saba and Savta ("grandfather" and "grandmother" btw) at the Jewish old age community (is their a better way to say that?) where they live. Saba introduced me to one of his friends, and told me he was a Holocaust survivor. one of Saba's other friends, a retired professor, took that as an opportunity to ask, "by the way, i've been meaning to ask you, how can you believe in God after the Holocaust?" cuz that's the kind of thing you can say when you're an ol' J. crazy. and peep this: the whole time the Holocaust survivor was wearing one of those "Life is Good" brand hats. I'm not making this up.

anyway. here's my favorite Holocaust-themed moment from Curb Your Enthusiasm to lighten things up.