A Day of Remembrance, A Day of Awareness

Tel Aviv, a city that never sleeps, was eerily quiet last night in observance of Yom Ha’Shoah, the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust. Cafes that are always bustling and mini markets that are open 24 hours were all closed by 8 pm and the streets were quiet. The television stations were either not broadcasting or showing various movies or documentaries about the Holocaust and sad songs were the only ones played on the radio. It is comforting to have a country help you grieve by setting the tone in her streets and in her media.

Today at 10:00 am, the sirens sounded and Israel stood still in remembrance of those who perished in the Holocaust. And as we remember and hear stories about the ones who perished, we also focus on those who survived, many of them living in Israel. While their stories are inspirational, many of their current economic situations are in danger.

Reports have come out claiming that 1/3 of the Holocaust survivors in Israel, about 75,000, live below the poverty line. There are no words to describe the horrific events of the Holocaust, but it is even more disheartening to think that people who have been through so much are still struggling on a daily basis.

And while this day is still a Day of Remembrance, it has also become a Day of Awareness. There are hundreds of protesters outside of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, protesting this situation today and email petitions traveling through cyberspace to raise awareness about this issue.

May we never forget all of those who died and may we never let this happen to the Jewish people or any other nation.