A Passport on Yom HaShoah

Scorched flower by the Palmiet River, South Africa. Copyright Tanya Hoshovsky 2020

Water gurgled, birds chirped as the siren wailed on and on. Pain, memory and continuity all at the same time.

An hour after I stood in silence along with the rest of Israel for that haunting minute, I applied for my Israeli passport. The old and the new realities all so close together: persecution and systematic genocide but also strength and survival.

I know that what I write is nothing new – it is the common theme of almost all talks and articles on Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Yet what struck me as I stood with other students in the Hebrew University’s Botanical Garden was how poignant the oft-spoken words are. It became clear to me.

Will the Holocaust become like the Crusades and the Chelminki Massacres in time? A historical tragedy in the consciousness of our people that slips away? Perhaps. However, it will forever live on. Jews do not forget. We will never forget.

Never Again.

About the Author

Raised in South Africa, Tanya holds a BA in Philosophy (cum laude) and an MA in Jewish Studies (cum laude). She works in content writing and education. She is passionate about social impact and nonprofit work.