Holocaust Memorial Day in New Hampshire, from Keene to Manchester

Earlier this week Jewish communities around the world paused to remember the victims of the Holocaust, a unique and uniquely horrifying genocide which was not only an assault on the Jewish people, but on fundamental values of respect for human life, freedom of religion and democratic principles. When we honor the memory of those who fell victim to the monstrosity of Nazism we not only make sure that those who were murdered are not forgotten, but we remind ourselves and our fellow citizens that we share a collective responsibility to remain vigilant and on guard against prejudice and hate.

Recently I had the opportunity to attend two different Holocaust Memorial Day events in New Hampshire: an interfaith program on Sunday evening co-sponsored by the Jewish Federation of New Hampshire, Temple Adath Yeshurun, Temple Israel of Manchester, Brookside Congregation Church and the Greater Manchester Clergy Association, and a very moving ceremony at Congregation Ahavas Achim in Keene led by Rabbi Amy Lowenthal.

On Sunday evening Temple Israel of Manchester was  full for an excellent talk by Holocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor who recounted a harrowing tale of death and survival in Auschwitz, where she was the subject of experiments by the deranged Nazi doctor Josef Mengele.  One of the things I really liked about NAMES presentation was that she not only recounted the details of her time in the concentration camp with great courage, but connected these experiences to lessons about tolerance, understanding and humanity.

After the informative program on Sunday night I went to Keene on Monday for a different kind of Holocaust Memorial Day event which was more focused on quiet contemplation and personal connection. The ceremony itself was simple in design and very powerful, incorporating time for reflection, prayer and the lighting of Yizkor candles for the 6 million Jews murdered in the Shoah.

 As I reflect on these two Holocaust Memorial Day experiences I can't hep but think that they represent two very important modes of commemoration - one outwardly engaged, an opportunity to hear  directly from someone who lived through the horrors of the Shoah, the other inspiring deeper thought on what it means for 6 million people to be intentionally killed for no other reason than their religion or ethnicity. Each in its own way offers vital lessons for us today, and for the future.

Antisemitism in Ukraine as factions collide

Over the past few months the news out of Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine has been a source of concern for many people who care about the rule of law and national sovereignty in Europe. As a war of words escalated into actual fighting on the ground between a number of different factions we saw Russia use the chaos in the region to its own advantage by taking control of the Crimea, an area of the Ukraine which is home to many Russian-speaking people, but which has been semi-autonomous or a part of the Ukraine for generations.  Now it appears that tensions may boil over again in the eastern part of the Ukraine where a dangerous mix of Ukrainian nationalists, pro-Russian militias, local government activists and other unknown entities risk sparking a larger conflict

While all Ukrainians seem to be feeling the pressure from these forces, there have been disturbing reports recently that an element of Antisemitism has made its way into the conflict, with reports in several online news outlets that flyers instructing Jews to register with the local authorities (and promising expulsion from the country if they fail to comply) had been posted and distributed near Jewish institutions in the city of Donetsk. It is still unclear, from media reports, exactly who is responsible for the creation and distribution of this hateful material, but it does appear to be connected to pro-Russian militias agitating for a Russian take-over of a larger part of eastern Ukraine.

Regardless of exactly who is behind this heinous assault on democracy, it is a chilling reminder that Antisemitism in Eastern Europe is still, sadly, present in modern society. These leaflets are evocative not only of the Holocaust and the increasingly strict limitations Jews in Eastern Europe faced in the years leading up to World War II, but of the  undercurrent of Antisemitism which ran throughout much of Europe for centuries, occasionally flaring up in the form of pogroms. It seems to me that whomever is behind this was trying not only to intimidate the Jewish communities of eastern Ukraine, but to terrorize the society as a whole.

I would encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about events in Ukraine and how they may impact the Jewish community there to read this thoughtful piece by Rabbi Jim Morgan of the Boston Jewish Community Relations Council.  You may also want to check out this article published on the Israeli news website Ynet for a more in-depth exploration of this latest incident.

In the days and weeks ahead I will continue to watch the news coming out of this part of the world, and plan to keep the community updated on events as they impact Jewish communities throughout eastern Europe, here on this blog.

Thanks for reading.

Copyright Daniel E. Levenson 2014.

Statement from JFNA on trageic events in Kansas

By now may of you are no doubt aware of the tragic events which took place on Sunday which have deeply impacted the Kansas Jewish community. In light of these events we wanted to share the following statement from the Jewish Federations of North America (of which JFNH is a member). Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and victims of this terrible tragedy. New York - Following today's tragic and fatal shooting in the Kansas City Jewish community, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) expressed sympathy and support. Michael Siegal, chair of the JFNA Board of Trustees, stated: "We at the Jewish Federations stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Kansas City following today's horrific events, and our sympathies are with the families of the victims. No community should have to face a moment such as this one, and we pledge to do whatever is necessary to help the people of Kansas City through this terrible time. Today, on the eve of Pesach, we are left to contemplate how we must continue our work building a world in which all people are free to live their lives without the threat of terror." JFNA continues to work with Congress and the Department of Homeland Security to develop programs to improve security for at-risk nonprofit organizations throughout the country, including Jewish institutions. The organization is currently working to ensure that funding for such programs will continue in the coming fiscal year.

Ahead of Passover, thoughts on oppression, identity and community

In a little less than two weeks Jews around the world will gather with friends, family and guests to recall a central episode in the Torah and in the history of our people, as we remember the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. The holiday of Passover is rich with symbolism, tradition and memory at every level, from the familiar items that we find on the Seder plate each year to the recitation of the 4 questions by the youngest child at the table to that first taste of Matzah and the sinus-clearing rush of horse radish.


There are many important themes that characterize this holiday, most prominently the idea of a journey from slavery and oppression to freedom. This struggle to break free from the heavy hand of Pharaoh is at the heart of the Passover Hagadah, chronicling not only the tyranny of the oppressor but both the timidity and the courage of those who would seek to free themselves. Our teachers thought that this idea was so important that they put it at the center of our observance of the exodus frrom Egypt, for just as it is incumbent upon us to hear the sound of the Shofar each year during the Hgh Holidays, so too must we place ourselves in the sandals of our ancestors and  say that Gd took us our of Egypt.

While I like the idea that Gd took "us" out of Egypt as a way of  asking the Jewish people to identify with our ancestors and the difficult path they trod from Egypt to the Land of Israel (with plenty of souris along the way) I think that we should also see the "us" part as an explicit reminder that community and being in community is intrinsic to Jewish identity and expression. This theme of communal connection runs  throughout   the Haggadah, from Moses's decision (with a little help from the Almighty) to return to Egypt  and the israelites after he flees, to the mass movement of all of the Israelites out of Egypt towward the end of the narrative. And the seder itself is inherently communal - a ritual meal, centered around an ancient narrative with the idea that "all who are hungry should come and eat."

Looking at the Haggadah from this angle I am reminded once again that just as the idea of community was central to the eventual success of Moses and the Israelites escape from bondage in Egypt, we also need community today - not to escape slavery (although there are of course still slaves and people oppressed today) but to continue to thrive and grow as a people, to keep Judaism alive and well in a post-modern world, and to speak out against injustice, unified in our  belief that as a people who escaped oppression together that we have a responsibility to use our collective voice on behalf of others.

Wherever you are celebrating Passover this year, be it in New Hampshire, Israel or elsewhere, I wish everyone a very happy (and meaningful) holiday.