The Holocaust and The Hope (HaTikva)

A few months ago I recounted my father's history as a Holocaust survivor.

A couple of hours ago Israel began its commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day in a ceremony at Yad VaShem. I was able to watch it for the first time from beginning 'til end, thanks to the wonders of the internet. I could never watch it in Israel. My parents turned the TV off and didn't let me watch it. Or maybe THEY didn't want to watch it? Or maybe they didn't want me to ask them any questions?

My mother's story as a Holocaust survivor is far more painful than my father's. When she was 5 years old her parents received warning that the Nazis are on their way to gather all the Jews for deportation. Her parents escaped through the forest, but as it turned out they weren't safe there either. At a certain point my mother's mother and her father made the decision to split in order to give one of them a better chance at surviving. My mother's father grabbed my mother and ran to hide behind one bush, as my mother's mother hid behind another bush. The Nazis found my mother's mother and shot her point blank. My mother saw her mother killed by the Nazis.

Her father took her to his sister and asked her to raise his daughter. She ended up adopting her officially. The "grandmother" I knew all these years was actually her aunt. I didn't find this out until I was in my 20's. No one wanted to tell me what happened to my real grandmother.

My mother didn't lose just her mother to the Nazis senseless killing. She had lost more than 20 family members: aunts, uncles, cousins. Adults and children. All of them perished at Auschwitz. Only three cousins survived: My mother, her cousin in DC, and her cousin in Australia. My mother and the cousin in Australia refused to ever talk about the Holocaust. Their third cousin who lived in Philadelphia dedicated her entire life to the memory of the Holocaust and gave speeches and interviewed survivors for the Shoa Foundation.

Tomy Lapid, a Holocaust survivor and a Kneset member spoke at the ceremony this evening at Yad VaShem. He said some very strong words about the world's silence at yet another holocaust in Darfur. If anyone thinks the Holocaust is in our history and there's nothing we can do to bring the dead, then think again. You can prevent more senseless deaths. Mr. Lapid also said we are all Holocaust survivors and it's our duty to live in our country and defend it so another Shoah against the Jewish people does not happen again. It is part of our being, part of our national hope. Part of our lives - to yearn to live and give meaning to the senseless deaths during the Holocaust.

People who hear our national anthem for the first time notice a distinct difference between the victorious melodies of so many anthems from around the world, and the sad and hopeful tune of the Israeli anthem. Our anthem is not one of victory, but rather the story of our hope. Our hope of living in Israel as a free nation with our hearts and minds in Jerusalem.

I bring you here several versions of our National Anthem - Hatikva - The Hope.

Enrique Macias singing HaTikva (no video, just the song)

Barbara Streisend talking to Golda Meir