Germany’s head of state, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, recently visited the construction site of a Holocaust museum in Thessaloniki, Greece. The museum, which is being built on the grounds of an old railway station from which thousands of Greek Jews were transported to Auschwitz, is due to be completed in 2026. Germany fundraised €10m towards the project. Many, including the president of Thessaloniki’s Jewish community, David Saltiel, have expressed relief that the museum is being built. More than 50,000 people, the majority of whom were Sephardic Jews, were transported from the city to concentration camps during WWII.
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The defacement of the Berlin Holocaust memorial with the message “Jews are committing genocide” is not only deeply disturbing but also highly offensive. The memorial stands as a reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust, where millions of innocent people were systematically persecuted, tortured, and murdered simply because of their Jewish heritage. To vandalize such a sacred space in this manner is not only disrespectful to the memory of the victims but also perpetuates harmful anti-Semitic rhetoric.
It is crucial to recognize that equating Jews with the actions of the Israeli government is not only unfair but also dangerous. Israel and “the Jews” are not synonymous entities.… Continue reading
Covering a Holocaust memorial in London has sparked outrage, as concerns over potential vandalism by an antisemitic mob have led to the decision to shield the memorial with a plastic cover. Many see this act as equivalent to vandalizing the memorial itself, arguing that memorials must be on display for their intended purpose to be fulfilled.
One argument against covering the memorial is that it merely serves as a symbolic gesture and does little to actually prevent determined vandals from defacing the site. The idea that covering up such a memorial denies its existence or significance is a valid point to consider.… Continue reading
John Q. Hosedrinker