“How,” you ask? “How am I responsible?”
Were the town residents of Auschwitz, Poland responsible for the murders in the camp? They ignored the stench from the gas chambers. They tacitly permitted the murder of men, women and children and continued on with their lives. We condemn them. But on what grounds?
L’havdil, we, too, live tolerating murders and unspeakable evil. We tolerate ghettos rife with drugs and guns. We witnessed news articles displaying hungry children and dangerous neighborhoods. Why have we been silent? Or if not silent, why did we give up so easily? Auschwitz City residents claimed “Jews aren’t us.” Are we any different when we claim “blacks aren’t us or Kansas Citians aren’t us?”
We have much soul searching to do, and recompense to pay. We Jews who blame the residents of Germany, Auschwitz, all of Poland, or the Soviet Union for the annihilation of Jews have tolerated among ourselves a culture of death.
The murder of Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Bobby Kennedy, and finally the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. taught us; but we largely moved to our suburbs, sent our children to Johnson County schools, from time to time listened to speakers, and tolerated the evil believing ourselves powerless. But then, how could we blame the residents of Germany or Auschwitz, Poland for tolerating evil?
This soul searching cannot end with hard feelings and shame. Actions must follow.
I know we live with a deadly virus. But we can stop shutting our eyes and demand investigations, convictions, prison sentences, and remuneration to victims and their families. We can stop tolerating hateful speech. And most of all: we can start searching out racial injustice in every store, business, restaurant, public institution, or religious body that we utilize or frequent.
There are black children and adults in the Jewish community, beset by rude, prejudiced inquiries, whose voices must be heard. “When did you become Jewish? Why are you Jewish? Why are you here? What are you doing here?” Blacks in synagogues are assaulted frequently by such intrusive inquiries. When were you, dear reader, asked such questions about yourself? Why is it okay to single out others, letting them know how different they appear to be. Such “othering” must stop immediately in our institutions and community.
There are teenagers feeling endangered by police just for going for a drive or bike ride.
There are blacks stopped by police driving in our white neighborhoods, pulled over for no reason, driving while black. Mothers teach their black children how to speak to the police lest they be shot and killed for no offense except existence. I know such people.
By Rabbi Mark H. Levin / Guest Columnist
Every one of us must insist that this stop. Now.
Do not let hate speech go.
Follow up on every story of bigotry and bias.
Do not accept lynchings as the American norm.
The original sin of the U.S., black enslavement and hatred toward blacks, must end now, and with us.
You will not be asked to visit and tour Auschwitz.
But we live blind, as did they, amidst hate and institutional racism.
Point it out. Drag it out. Post it on social media. It’s ugly. It’s ungodly. And we must end it today.