Culture
Holocaust Memorial Day
May 2 is Holocaust Memorial Day in Israel this year. The standing numerical figure for Jewish lives lost by Nazi Germany or the lives taken is at 6 million.
There were over 12 million people who were victims of the modern holocaust. A holocaust is a mass forced annihilation of people. That is what happened to people, the many caught up in the very complicated history of Europe during the rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime.
Many Jews were living in Comfortable conditions all over Europe at the time of the Holocaust. Germany was actually a favored place to live for Jews at that time. The Jewish people are not a huge people group by number compared to many other people in the world. The wiping out of 6 million of them however turned the clock back for generations to come in reproducing as a Jewish people. Millions lost their lives and so generations were cut off suddenly from the World and the family units God created us to be.
It was the Jewish people who suffered the greatest loss as a people during the holocaust horrors. Men woman and children were ushered to poison gas showers disguised as cleaning rooms (bathing) and disinfection areas. There were holding camps in which persons were transported throughout Europe and upon arriving by trainloads would be escorted to these deadly showers. Bodies were disposed of largely by burning them. Often persons were buried alive or shot even in front of their loved ones. It was the ultimate terror of Europe.
Friends, these atrocities took place in the modern world. The educating world of universities and refinement suddenly was nowhere to be found. The once elite were discarded as trash. God’s finest creation, Man was no more to be esteemed by another as they were destined to be wiped out by Germany and the regime. We ask ourselves how this can be. We struggle with such ugly behavior from another human being, from an entire geographical region. Some even try to deny the horrors as their minds cannot fathom such evil. We should not be surprised however at the holocaust and its history.
Jesus the Jewish messiah warned us about mankind. He teaches no one is good but God. The bible teaches that in hunger we would all do an evil deed to feed our stomach. Simply put without the Holy Spirit dwelling in us we are hopeless creatures. The teachings of Jesus and his warnings have not all been fulfilled to this date. The world actually awaits particular events still to come which may parallel the holocaust in many ways. The end times are waiting for a third of all mankind to die according to Scripture. We must think about how that could come about, and surely conclude no good could align with that outcome! Someone will be responsible for that third of mankind destined scripturally to perish. It is safe to say they will be annihilated, perhaps by a nuclear weapon.
In Israel; we will stand at the sound of an alarm during Holocaust Remembrance day. A huge loud speaker blares a siren sound as we stop our cars upon hearing it. A whole nation stops washing dishes, surfing the computer. We completely stand still for a holy 60 seconds. Whatever we are doing we all stop. WE stop for this one full minute and we stand. We stand to remember those who suffered in those death showers and shooting victims and more atrocities carried out on the Jewish people. The siren slowly goes silent and we return to our daily tasks. The thoughts over the years personally have varied for me as I always stand each year too. I mostly think of the people who suffered and try to imagine what their last thoughts were and remember the terrible fate they encountered at the evil hands of men. I am always moved in my heart contemplating entire generations which were wiped out by the holocaust.
Leviticus 23 outlines commands to remember annual Biblical days as the Lord commanded. Holocaust Remembrance Day is not commanded but it is a very important modern sobering day that we observe too.
One minute is not a lot of time to reflect all the suffering but it does help us keep focus every year. The Jewish people are remembering it can happen again. Anti-Semitism is rising again globally and we are a small people, 7 million in Israel.
Israel today offers in vitro or fertility shots for all women freely. I believe it is because we are building our race again. The notion that 6 million would be taken from us again is more than we can imagine. The Jewish people want to remain at the forefront of the matter of many global issues thereby insuring to be well informed. We also share that information with other nations and are abreast at rising tides of such hatred, should it come again as it once did.
We have a saying at many of our marked events as a people. We declare as a people never again, it means we will never let another holocaust happen as a people. We are committed as a people to prevent another evil as that one. For another nation 6 million people may amount to only a small fraction but for us it was as almost all of our people dying overnight.
So May 2nd the sirens will blare, the people will stand and remember. We are the Jews, the people whom have the promise of bringing and delivering the saving Messiah, and His message of hope to a dying world.
It is not in God’s plan we should die as a people. It was man’s evil choice to implement the horrors which saw that long season, and participated in and victims endured. It was not his God’s plan to perish as a nation in Egypt, it was not his plan to perish in Babylonia and it was not his plan in Germany for the Jewish nation to perish. The plan of God is that we will live. The plan of God is that we would be saved in the knowledge of Christ Jesus and to share that good news with all nations. Jews are commanded to be a light to the nations. Jesus is that true light of men.
The promises and gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. We were called to be his people and he is the God who will save all who will believe in him. It is not his plan any man should die. He has made his saving plan through his son Jesus the Christ. WE must embrace and accept his plan of life. We are destined to die in our sins if we reject his plan. There will be no remembrance day for those who reject his plan of life through Jesus, the son and life saver. There will only be tears and sorrow and pain for those who will not know the Christ and His deliverance.
We have heard of many Jews who were next in line at the death showers during the holocaust. They were stopped and turned back by the Nazi guards suddenly and their lives were spared. They lived to tell the story and we know many truths from these true occurrences told to us by eye witnesses there.
After the horrifying crimes committed on humanity the nation of Israel was born. While the UN tried to give parts of Uganda as a Jewish state the Balfour declaration guaranteed it would be Israel to be born once again.
Israel is the land God promised to the Jewish people. We should not settle for any other place, not ever Uganda. As a people chosen to be a light in this very dark world today holocaust day can help us be a light. We can as a people show forth endurance. We can be an example of rising from the ashes as a people. We can be a light to the nations in always having hope in the darkest of situations life throws at us. We can hold that light high and we can trust the living God of Israel who promises us a wonderful and good future if we will look to him and believe in him. Israel is the people of God and in many ways we have strayed from him. Yet He longs for us to come again to him, closely and let him revive us from our dry bones and ashes. His banner over us is love.
Yes we have a sad history in the holocaust but the Lord can restore that which even the canker worm has eaten. May Israel know her hope in the promises of our God and Messiah Jesus Christ and may we show forth His true light to the nations as our God exchanges our ashes for beauty in our lifetime. He makes all things beautiful in His time.
Miriam Abramov, one of founders of Awake Israel ministries in Israel, is an Israeli believer in Christ and is a graduate of Israel College of the Bible in Jerusalem, a four year degree accredited college. She served in the Israel army in weapons control and continued to pursue a Master’s degree in Jewish studies.
She is an international speaker regarding Israel and the biblical Feasts. She has written a book, Married to Israel. She has written often for Messianic periodicals in the Holy Land. Miriam enjoys journalism status international. She can be reached at awakeisrael@gmail.com
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