Holocaust Education Week - Lessons for the world to learn

Today starts Holocaust Education Week -


It's a program of the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto Sarah and Chaim Neuberger Holocaust Education Centre- and it's a great reminder of the lesson that we need to stand up whenever there is injustice - even if that injustice isn't directed against us.

Like the famous poem by Holocaust Survivor Martin Niemoller says:

They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

Today, we ALL have to speak up about Anti-Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning prejudice and hate. Just as we need to speak up about anti-Black and anti-Latino and anti-Jewish prejudice and hate.

Let's learn from history, and change our world for the better. And let's start today.


Namaste,
Lee