Refocus on Shoa
Johanna Ginsberg’s article on teaching about the Holocaust is totally “Out of Focus!”
The importance of the Holocaust is not how many Jews were murdered by the Nazis as compared with how many other people were murdered.What is important is to teach the necessity of fighting against discrimination and victimization of any group in our society.
In terms of the survival of the Jewish community in America, it is also essential to teach our children the pride of being Jewish. For the first time in history, Jews in America have the option of choosing whether or not to remain members of the group. The Holocaust and other Jewish catastrophes like the Inquisition and pogroms are great for mobilizing the Jewish community.However, I do not believe that they are much of a selling point for our children.We should teach our children about the marvel of Jewish survival and the unequalled distinction achieved by Jews of America in every field of endeavor. We have representation, far out of proportion to our numbers, on the U.S. Supreme Court, in both houses of Congress, and as authors, educators, scientists, etc. Last,but not least, we should teach them about the outstanding role of Jews as advocates for justice and equality of treatment for every citizen of our great nation.
Victor W. Stein
Pompton Plains
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