Levi Parsons: 'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it' – the famous quote by George Santayana. His quote speaks for the atrocities of the past that can still be found in our world today.
In the past, there have been horrific events that often times stem from discrimination, like the holocaust or apartheid. However, these discriminatory acts are still being committed today in everyday life, and if people carry on hating one another, it creates hostile environments and spac
It would be easy for older generations to assume that those younger than them have little understanding of the deep seeded effects that the holocaust had.
However, this couldn’t be farther from the truth, at a recently held Yom Hashoah Ceremony, youth of King David Victory Park were among the many showed empathy and understanding of the pain those before them experienced during the holocaust.
The Northcliff Melville Times asked a few of them, ‘in what ways do you hope humanity more deeply understands the pain felt by those generations before you?
They had this to say:
Hannah Evan: Most people view my generation as apathetic and self-centred. I disagree with the above view. I believe our generation is more aware of the suffering and oppression endured by others. I believe my generation speaks out openly and criticises oppressors. It is for this reason that I believe humanity does try to deeply and better understand the pain felt by generations before me. My advice to this generation is to continue to educate itself. Knowledge is power. Education is empowermentLiat Chipkin: I hope that humanity understands that the holocaust was something that continues to effect people. That trauma is passed on from generation to generation. It adds to the tally of torment that the Jewish people have undergone and how our story is a story of survival. I hope that the world understands that the newer generations emerging will not forget and that with recent and growing holocaust denialism there comes a disregard for the indescribable trauma that our ancestors enduredGilana Rubenstein: On Yom Hashoah, we remember and honour the six million Jewish people who were brutally murdered during the Holocaust. It is important for society to understand the pain felt by the generations before us in order to prevent such atrocities from happening again. To me, this is important, as I wish for the victims of the Holocaust to be valued and remembered. Those people who felt such pain, who went through torture and were eventually killed, need to be honoured – every one of themGreg Landau: Understanding someone’s pain is a rather challenging thing for someone else to do. Historically, the Jewish people have experienced pain and suffering wherever they went. From the days we were slaves in Egypt right up until the gruesome Pogroms in Russia leading up to the horrors of the Holocaust, as a people pain is embedded into our history. However, I feel the best way we can understand this pain felt by those who came before us is to live our lives never forgetting those who cam