holocaust remembrance day

today is holocaust remembrance day*. there's not better way to put yourself and your life in perspective than to think of the 6 million Jewish citizens that were murdered in the holocaust. i've been to the holocaust museum several times, 2 years ago i was in Israel around this time and was lucky enough to visit yad vashem. it's really interesting to see the different perspectives and i'm really glad i could go. so if you have an extra 10 minutes today maybe have some silence, remember the horror that was the holocaust and thank God for the survivors and their stories that help those who died live on.

God of Our Fathers, let the ashes of the children incinerated in Auschwitz, the rivers of blood spilled at Babbi Yar or Majdanek, be a warning to mankind that hatred is destructive, violence is contagious, while man has an unlimited capacity to cruelty. Almighty God, fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares . . . nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."
Amen.
Alexander Kimel

*it actually falls on the 2nd, but since that would overlap with the start of shabbat it's observed on the 1st this year you can find all the dates here