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Robert Portman was the Republican senator from Ohio for the past 11 years. He was a reliable and accomplished Senator and a great friend of Israel. As an example of his support of Israel on May 14, 2021, in the middle of Israel’s latest war against Hamas he issued the following statement. “The almost 2000 Hamas rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza violate the international law of armed conflict and must be roundly condemned by the United States and the rest of the international community. In response to these attacks Israel has the right to defend itself. There is no equivalence between the deadly indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas and the defensive actions taken by the government of Israel.”

Whoopi Goldberg said that “the Holocaust isn’t about race” during a discussion on “The View” about a Tennessee school board’s banning of the book Maus, written by a Holocaust survivor. Whoopi could not be more wrong. Unfortunately, she is another example of how important education about the Holocaust is more relevant today than at any other time. With social media spewing misinformation about the Holocaust, it is even more urgent and necessary.

The Holocaust can never be spoken about enough. The industrial mass murder of six million Jews in a supposedly advanced civilization is unconscionable, reprehensible, and unforgivable. But amidst the torture, torment, and terror were sparks of light and profound humanity that inspire and transform even today. One such effort that saved tens of thousands of Jews was the Vaad Hatzalah, led by Irving Bunim of blessed memory and Rabbi Aharon Kotler of blessed memory.

When COVID struck the United States, I thought it would be a unifying force. I naively reasoned that the pandemic would bring people together. I believed that the bitter polarization that began with the crash of the Stock Market in 2007-2008 would finally end. I was wrong. COVID has caused a further rupture in society. It has brought health care workers closer but few others.

Acts Of Heroism And Compassion, And Lessons From The Holocaust

The Holocaust continues to be a focus of celebrities and pundits alike. Memories of the masses is very short. Although memory begins around age two and a half, context information for non-emotional events and news stories was at a chance level at two months in adults. This is not a good starting point if one is trying to re-educate Americans about the Holocaust. Given that attention spans are down from 12 seconds in the year 2000 to 8 seconds now, the chance of sustaining a lasting memory is further reduced. Social media has been the main driving force decreasing attention spans. Humans now have attention spans below that of goldfish. There is only one answer, and that is to keep the drumbeat alive. Everyone has to do his or her part. The survivors are trying, but unfortunately their numbers are dwindling.

The antisemitic terrorist hostage-taking ordeal that occurred in Colleyville, Texas, brought to the surface once again bitter memories of the Holocaust. Jews were singled out simply because they were Jews. Antisemitism raised its ugly head again for all to see.