Last week on Wednesday night we commemorated the atrocities of the Holocaust with Yom HaShoah. We remembered the 6 million Jews who were murdered for simply holding firm to their faith. And we have come to understand that the death and horrors of the Shoah happen when a society is corrupted, callous, and loses sight of the humanity of the other.
At a time of rising antisemitism in the United States and across the world, the Shoah, the Holocaust, is a reminder to us all of the horrific consequences of standing idly by when Jews are used as scapegoats and persecuted for simply their beliefs. In a time of hatred in our society, when too often we demonize, ostracize, and dehumanize those who do not share our beliefs, it is critical to remind ourselves of the devastation this can lead to. We must never allow ourselves or our community to lose empathy for the other and to relegate anyone to something other than the human being they are; created in the image of God.
As the Sage Hillel and the namesake of the organization I have the honor to serve teaches, וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין אֲנָשִׁים, הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לִהְיוֹת אִישׁ—In a place in which there is no humanity, strive to bring humanity into this world. May you all, as leaders of this wonderful State of California, be blessed with the courage, clarity, empathy, and moral drive to learn the lessons of the Shoah, never standing idly by and always striving to bring humanity into our world.