On April 12, 1951, the Knesset passed a resolution proclaiming the 27th of Nisan “the Holocaust and Ghetto Uprising Remembrance Day – a day of perpetual remembrance for the House of Israel.” The date was specifically chosen to fall between the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the observance of Israel Independence Day.
“With each passing year, we lose more eyewitnesses to history. It’s more important now than ever for us to pass the torch, so that the Holocaust continues to have relevance for future generations,’’ Mandeau said. “For myself, I wonder, am I impacting my kids? Am I doing my due diligence? All you can do is pass on the foundation built by the men and women before us and hope they understand it.’’
Passing the Legacy of Shoah Remembrance, l’Dor v’Dor
Knowing the voices of witnesses had diminished while those of Holocaust deniers and revisionists had grown louder, we sensed it was time, or past time, for the children and grandchildren of the survivors, the Second and Third Generation - 2Gs and 3Gs, to step up and speak out about how their experiences growing up in the shadow of the Holocaust had affected their lives and what the implications were going forward. This volume brings their stories, and most importantly the impact of those stories, to the whole congregation. What better complement to accomplish the critical mission of passing the legacy l’dor v’dor - from one generation to the next.
“They may walk with a little less spring in their step and their ranks are growing thinner, but let us never forget – when they were young, these men and women peered into the abyss of the Shoah and returned to bear witness.”
– paraphrase of President Bill Clinton’s remarks about WWII Vets on the 50th Anniversary of D-Day