Crisis in Humanity
Ana was a Jewish girl living in a small village in Poland with two brothers, and her parents were happily married. It was the summer of 1939. She was playing outside with her brothers on a lovely September afternoon. She was running across their yard when two men in uniforms gazed at her with hostility. Soon after, the Nazis transported Ana and her family to Auschwitz. Ana was only nine years old at the time.
The Nazis stripped her father and two brothers away when they arrived at Auschwitz. Ana never saw them again. Ana not only faced starving conditions and harsh labor, but she also experienced her childhood’s death. When winter came, she was no longer recognizable. Ana survived on only watery slop and a small ration of bread, forced into hardship. She appeared to have only a thin layer of skin covering her bones. Snow fell ruthlessly as Ana and her mother worked in the cold.
Soon, Ana contracted tuberculosis, inflaming her lungs to the point of coughing up her blood. The Germans saw her coughing and decided her fate by sending her to the gas chamber, where the Nazis reduced Ana’s body to ash. No one held a funeral or memorial for Ana. She died because of her faith and her faith alone.
The horrors of the Nazi concentration camps shocked the world. The Nazi persecution gave no sympathy to all Jews and people who suffered. People and governments worldwide claimed this would never happen again, and the Nazis were condemned and tried for their atrocities. We thought we would never see the Nazi pride again.
In 2023, the Jewish hate crimes unfortunately returned. The people of Hamas began to commit heinous crimes against the Jewish people of Israel. They refused to recognize Israel as a nation and have launched attacks against them. Numerous terrorist attacks have commenced, including the deaths of over 1300 people (including 29 Americans). Over 150 hostages have been taken by Hamas, creating a hostage crisis. Some of the crimes Hamas has performed have included the raping and murdering of women, beheading of children, and using innocent people as human shields. Hamas has called upon the people to persecute the Jewish people. These horrifying crimes against the Jewish people are ongoing and have returned since World War II.
The Biden administration recently told the Israel community they must fight against Hamas attacks. The U.S. gave some aid to Israel but not much else to help resolve the crisis. At least one State Department official has since resigned over the Biden administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Who are we as a species to be so cruel to one another over religious beliefs? What will unfold from this hate war? Where is our human pride to stand together rather than apart? When will the hate stop, and how will we heal humanity?
