PersonalreflectiononInternationalHolocaustRemembranceDay:Whyshouldwerememberourpast?ByNicoleKaplanWriterandEditorofNeverForget:AMarchoftheLivingStory

LastyearIworkedonadocumentaryfilmwhichIcansafelysay,changedmylifeforever.Ialwayssawtheholocaustasaterribleatrocityinhistorythattookthelivesofmillionsofpeopleandthatwashorrific,andunimaginable,andapointofdeepsadnesstoevencomprehend...Butallthathappenedaverylongtimeago.Andsadlytherehavebeenmanywarsandlarge-scalegenocidessince...Besidescontinuingthememoryoftheholocaustoutofrespectfortheinnocentlivesthatwerelost,whatistherelevanceofrememberingitalltoday?AndsoinpreparationforNeverForget,Ibegantofurthermystudyintowhatactuallyhappenedduringthosehorrificyearsandtheexplanationforwhywerememberbecameappallinglyobvious.Allofasuddentheestimated6millionJewishpeopleandnearly5millionpeoplecombinedfromotherNazitargetedgroups:AfricanAmericans,Romani,JehovahsWitnesses,CatholicPoles,homosexuals,politicalprisonersAllsprangtolifefromnumbersonapage,nameslostintheabyssoftime,toindividuals.Eachindividualwiththeirownuniquestory,theirownhopesanddreams,theirownfamilies,andfriendsandlovedonesandschools,universities,communities,jobs...AndtheblackandwhitephotographsoftheirmemorywerethengivennewlifewhenIcameacrossarchivesofcolourphotographyandfilmstockfromthattime.Andthetimeperiodthesepeoplewerecomingfromwassuddenlygivennewlight-theirworldwas,is,myworld.PrewarphotosofsmilingchildrenbecamethesmilesofchildrenIsawaroundme.Thetreesinthebackgroundofthesefadedimagesaremytrees.Theeyesinthesephotos...Aremyeyes.AndthenIstartedremembering-obviousinhindsightbutarevelationinthatmomentofgatheringresearch,theculturethesepeopleweresurroundedby,especiallyinhighlycivilisedGermanywhichwasasistercountrytoNewYorkCityatthetime.Thebooksthesepeoplewerereading,themoviestheywenttothecinematowatch...Iknowthesenames.Frankenstein,WizardofOz,SnowWhiteandtheSevenDwarfs,Pinocchio,Gonewiththewind,Casablanca,theMalteseFalcon,CitizenKane,thefilmsofmychildhoodandthefilmsIstudiedinfilmschool,wereallinthecinemasoftheirday...PopularnovelsofthetimeincludedthetitlesofBraveNewWorld,NineteenEightyFour,AnimalFarm,oneofmyown

favourites,TheLittlePrince.KidswerestillreadingthelikesofShakespeare,Austen,Bronte,Twain,Orwell,DickensinHighSchool...FrankSinatra,EllaFitzgerald,BillieHoliday,NatKingCole,LouisArmstrongcouldallbeheardplayingontheradio.YoucouldgotoyourlocalrecitalhallandhearMozartandBach'sinfamousconcertos.PicassoandSalvadorDaliwerechallengingartisticconventionsofthetimeinthewaythelikesofBanksywouldtoday.Imight'vejuststartedre-watchingTheHobbitonNetflixbutthatworldwasinprintandfillingthemindofareaderin1937.Imight'vejustbeenlisteningtothesoundtrackofBazLuhrmann'sGreatGatsby,butthattimeperiod,wasevenbeforethetimeoftheHolocaust...Andsuddenly'us'and'them'wasnomore.BoundariesoftimemeltedawayandIreachedoutandfeltasthoughItouchedthehandsofmyancestorswhoseworldsweresuddenlyrippedapart,voicessilencedandsuffocatedthroughindifference,heartscrushedfromcolossalloss,soulsshockedwhenplungedintosuddendarkness,livesstolenaway...Andthistragedyofaneventin'history'cametoacloseonly71yearsago.AndIwasborn23yearsago,andmybrother31yearsago,andmymother58andmyfather60yearsago...Thiswasn'tallsofaraway.Thiswasmygrandparentsgeneration.Ifmygrandparentsdidn'timmigratefromLithuaniaandPolandtoSouthAfricawhentheydid,thiscould'vebeenthem,Imightn'tbetypingthisalluponacomputerrightnowifitwasn'tfortheircrucialdecisiontomovecountrieswhenlifeintheircountrystartedturningcrazy...Asituation,whichstartedoutasnotsodifferentfromtherealityoflifeforJewsinFrancetoday...Andthat'swhenItrulyunderstoodtherelevanceofremembering.Timeisanillusion.Weareallthesame-past,presentandfuture.Samefaces,samehearts,samebodies,samehumantendencies.Justdifferentclothesandimprovedtechnology.Thenotionof'history'isalie.Itinfershis-story,notourstory.Butitisourstory.Andforgettingapartofourstorysetsusbackintime,ifwedon'trememberwecan'tlearnandgrowfromourcollectiveexperience.AndIthinkthat'swhyhistorytendstorepeatitself...That'swhywarskeephappeningagainandagain.That'swhythereisnotyetworldpeace.Wehaven'tyetevolvedonthismostbasiclevel.Weneedtoalwaysremember,sowecanlearnfromthemistakesofhumanitiespastandmakeabetterworldforall.NeverAgainstartswith,NeverForget.LastyearataYomHashoaheventwhichopenedwithanexcerptofourdocumentary,IheardthemostamazingquotebyElieWeiselwhichhasstuckwithmeeversince.Itread,'TheoppositeofLoveisnthate,it'sindifference...SoiftheresonethingIvetakenhomefromtheemotionalrollercoasterandpersonalchallengethatwasworkingonNeverForget:AMarchoftheLivingStory,itsthatinourfastpacedworldofdigitalrevolution,sensoryoverloadandeverreplenishingnewsfeeds,wemustnotletourselvesbesoeasilyindifferent.Wemustalwaysstrivetoconnectandrememberourpast,tobetterconnectwithourpresent,inordertobuildabetterandbrighterfuture.NEVERFORGET.