Why Auschwitz?

When one thinks of the Holocaust and the Nazi death camps of World War II, the first name that typically comes to mind is Auschwitz. Of all the death camps established by the Nazis, specifically for the purpose of annihilating the Jewish people, Auschwitz was the most notorious. Most estimates place the number of Jews murdered by the Nazis at around six million, a number that is difficult to comprehend. About 80 percent of the Jews of Europe, roughly one third of the Jewish population of the entire world, died at the hands of the Nazis. Of that six million, almost 1.5 million were killed at Auschwitz. A number of these Nazi death camps, including Auschwitz, still remain standing today as a testament of man’s inhumanity against his fellow man.

Having been the primary target of the Nazi’s brutality, we Jews are keenly aware of these horrors. After all, this is not ancient history. These events occurred little more than 60 years ago and are therefore still fresh in our collective memories. We are taught of these things in religious school and by our parents. Many of us lost close family members to the Holocaust, many more are first generation decedents of those who survived. Indeed, there are still survivors living among us today. But this generation will see the last of the eye witnesses to the Holocaust pass away, so the responsibility falls on us to keep the memory alive.

So, why Auschwitz? For me, visiting Auschwitz is an attempt to wrap my head around the reality of what happened there. It is one thing to study the history, hear the stories, see the pictures and the films, but it is still difficult to comprehend, like an abstract idea. I hope that going there, actually seeing the place with my own eyes, will make it real.

-Wayne