Gainesville International Holocaust observes memory day

On Monday, the International Holocost Day resonated separately in the Gainesville Jewish community compared to years of observation.

It came up with a mixture of restlessness and optimism as the antisemitism is growing and a ceasefire is being dealt with in Israel.

Monday was the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Aushwitz, also known as the International Holocost Day.

Chabad UF Jewish Students and Community Center hosted a program with Aushwitz Survivor Helga as a speaker. He spoke to a crowd of over 400 people, who was about the horrors of Holocost experienced as a German Jew.

Lori Butler of Green Cove Springs earned an hour with her husband Jessie Butler to reconcile.

“I think, especially since 7 October, that is too much concern,” Butler said of this day of remembrance, “and it makes it even more special and more important today.”

Melmade told his story that the room filled with people listened carefully. She shared details about her childhood in Germany, and as her experience she began to face discrimination to be Jews.

She talked about the horrors of the Aushwitz, and how she survived and eventually ended in the United States.

Melmade talked completely during his speech, but he torn some jokes about his time in the US, which the entire audience had to laugh.

When the floor was open to questions, an audience member asked him if he saw similarities between today’s atmosphere and what he grew up and led Holocost.

“I see a lot of similarities,” said Melamed.

“I would say that everyone here to think on his own,” he said. “Think what is the best for everyone, not only for some people.”

A second year pharmacy student colleague at Florida University came to the event with his friend Elizabeth Leonard, who was a third -year law student in the UF.

“It made it too real to hear from someone who was actually there,” the post said. “It was really impressive for me.”

Leonard stated that listening to Meld Speak was a reminder to stand up from your beliefs and stand right.

Chabad UF director Rabbi Berl Goldman said that education is necessary, so there is something that Holocaust never happens again.

“This incident of Holocost Remember Day is hopeful that we will teach love, teach and tolerance and most importantly, to erase fanaticism, hatred and evil among us,” he said.

Rabbi Goldman said that remembering Holocost should not be limited to the nominee days.

“People’s grief and oppression should be felt every day by all of humanity,” he said.

Public relations and women’s studies of a university in Florida, Junior Lauren Robins said it is important for him that Jews and non-Jews evenly take time out of each year to remember Holocosts equally.

She said that she has been nervous about the recent rise of antisementism in America as a Jewish student.

“I don’t even like to say,” he said, “but history can repeat itself.”

In 2023, according to Statista, the United States recorded 8,873 anti -semitic incidents. It doubles from the anti-Jewish attacks in 2022, which was 3,698.

Robins personally knew an Israeli woman Liri Albag, who was held hostage by Hamas on 7 October, 2023, and was issued on 25 January as part of the ceasefire agreement.

She met Albag in 2022 at the Cedar Lake Camp, where Robins was a spin instructor and Albagh was a camp member. Albag also participated as a tourist next year, and the two were able to know each other.

He said that Albag was taken hostage for 470 days, it was not real.

“Knowing that he has been released – is magical,” Robins said. “This is the only word that I can find in my vocabulary.”

Kenneth Wald, a distinguished professor of Emeritus of Political Science in UF, thinks that the International Holocost Day will be seen more easily this year before the onset of the war.

“7 October reminded many Jews that they could be at risk,” he said.

1,200 Jews died in a 2023 attack in Southern Israel. It is the most Jewish people killed in a day since Holocost.

“This is not something that happened 90 years ago,” Professor Wald said, “This was something that happened, you know, 15 months ago.”

Professor Wald also works in the board of directors of the Jewish Council of North Central Florida. He dedicates most of his time to Holocost education and programming.

Their parents survived both Holocosts, and they consider the second generation Holocost Survivor as a part of their identity.

“The concept of genocide is very real to me,” said Wald. “It is not imaginary or clinical.”

So he said that he at one time Holocost “is a lawyer to teach a family history,” he said.

“I decided to teach my family’s history as a means of creating a real event for people,” he said, “he said,” something that is tangible, and I think they at least all their heads Can wrap more. “

The Jewish Council of North Central Florida has worked with both Alachua County and Marion County Public School System to teach more about students and teachers. He has organized events where they are left to Holocaust and speakers to teach students Holocost history.

Linda Maurice, Executive Director of the Jewish Council of North Central Florida, said that he believes that the council can do the most important thing to educate everyone about Holocaust’s horrors.

He said, “In hot times, as we are living now, it is more important to understand what has happened in this world in the past so that it is more important than ever so that it does not happen again in the future.”

Maurice said he feels that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has created feelings of optimism and hope in the Gensville community.

“I want to think that no matter what your political affiliation, that you want a war to end,” he said.