There are events in our history that require revisiting from time to time to keep the lessons they provide humanity fresh in the collective consciousness. Some of them are positive events, things that we can look back on as a time of revolutionary behavior and action directed towards the good. Unfortunately, some of them are quite the opposite, dark and repugnant chapters in the saga of mankind that we wish had never happened.
The Holocaust is one such chapter in human history. It is one of the most notable moments in human history for the sheer scale of its depravity, serving almost as a global litmus test for what is to be avoided at all costs. But that doesn’t mean that it should be ignored or forgotten. On the contrary it is important that such events be used as a learning point to help guide humanity on its path to a better future. Hearing a Holocaust survivor story can be a great way to captivate the public and galvanize them to ensure that something like this never happens again.
Teaching the Holocaust
Though shocking to hear, there are some people who don’t even believe that the events known collectively as The Holocaust ever happened. Or many who readily acknowledge that these events did occur in the past, perhaps hold the ingrained believe that it is impossible that such things could happen again in our “modern” or “progressive age.” A Holocaust survivor story is a vital resource to help the public see first-hand the slow moving process of collective thoughts and behaviors that culminated in this great atrocity and how such forces quite often lay dormant in the collective psyche of many cultures.
Inspiring Change
Although the details of these stories are they are also stories that can inspire readers and fill them with hope and optimism for the potential of the good to prevail over evil even in the most seemingly hopeless of circumstances. History is the chance to look at things that have happened and ensure that they don’t happen again.
By properly educating the public about events such as the Holocaust, we help to ensure the guarantee of never having to endure situations like that again. Education is the key.
Reach out to the ZACHOR Holocaust Remembrance Foundation at www.zachorfoundation.org for more details.
