April 16 is a very important day to me and many Jewish people across the globe, because it is Holocaust Remembrance Day. But not everyone takes the issue of the Holocaust as seriously as it should be.
On Thursday, two high school students in New York wore swastika T-shirts to school with the word “Auschwitz” and the phrase, “hit the showers.”
The sheer thought of this makes me sick to my stomach, and quite frankly, engulfed with anger.
It’s sickening to know students, especially in New York, which has a very large Jewish population, can make light of this situation or find some type of humor from it.
Nevertheless, I do feel these high school students knew exactly what they were doing, and even specifically planned the T-shirt reveal around Holocaust Remembrance Day. There is no way that was a coincidence.
These situations are more fuel for Jewish students around the globe to show how important it is to have a voice and stand up to the tragedy that affected our ancestors many years ago, because unfortunately, anti-Semitism is still relevant today.
At the moment there are thousands of Jewish teens, adults and Holocaust survivors, as well as people from other faiths that are participating in the March of the Living in Poland.
The March of the Living is a 3-kilometer walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau. It is silent tribute to all of the victims of the Holocaust.
It coincides with death marches that took place many years ago, in which approximately 750,000 prisoners, almost half of which were Jewish, were forced outside to march by the Nazis.
However, the March of the Living serves as a symbol of strength, perseverance and faith to many people around the world, especially the Jews. However the real symbolism of this program lies behind the planning.
For the first half of the March of the Living, participants are in Poland honoring the many lives lost during the Holocaust, which overlaps with Yom Ha’Shoah. But for the second half of the March of the Living, the participants in Israel are celebrating their Israeli Independence Day — a rather exciting, uplifting and heartfelt holiday to help end the trip on a much lighter note.
Because honestly, the March of the Living is not the most joyful of trips, but rather a more solemn program to commemorate lives lost during such a horrific moment in history that reminds us to never forget.
This is a program that I feel is extremely crucial to any Jewish individual, but mainly Jewish teens because it allows them to physically see what happened and immerse them in a rather life-changing experience.
The emotion and passion that is exuded during the March of the Living is beyond palpable. And from the many friends, family, and educators I have known that have gone on the March of the Living, it’s life changing as well.
The March of the Living can teach us a lot about people of all faiths, not just Judaism itself. If the Holocaust happened to the Jews, it can happen to any specific group of people — no matter their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or even a handicap.
And as sad and tragic as the Holocaust is, it can also be used as a learning experience to help show students what shouldn’t happen again in the future.
How you want to look at it is up to you. We should always remember that something tragic like this can happen to anyone, and it is the responsibility of our generation to take on the task of educating the ones around us.
Are you up for the challenge? Because I know I am.
Jen Blate is a 24-year-old sociology junior from Miami, Florida. You can reach her on Twitter @Jblate_TDR.