Reconciling with Germany

Today, 80 years after the Holocaust, I grapple with a profoundly complex and deeply personal subject: my evolving perspective on Germany. It’s a topic I never imagined I’d address publicly.

To be candid, growing up in the long shadow cast by the Holocaust, I harbored a deep-seated hatred for the German people. My family endured unimaginable suffering in German concentration camps, joining the millions of Jewish men, women, and children barbarically murdered by the Nazis under Hitler and the SS. Relatives of my wife suffered at the hands of the monstrous Josef Mengele. Other family members, spared by God’s grace, lost everything—my father, a man of exceptional intellect, was robbed of his education, never even completing high school. Material possessions, though insignificant compared to the loss of life and dignity, were also stripped away; my grandmother recounted arriving in America with nothing but the clothes on their backs, lamenting the lack of even a chair to sit upon.

When I later learned of the reparations offered by Germany to Israel and Holocaust survivors, I initially dismissed them. How could any amount of “blood money” compensate for the systematic annihilation of one-third of world Jewry? I understood the dire need for those funds in the nascent State of Israel and for the many survivors living in poverty. Yet, I also could easily comprehend the visceral refusal of many Jews to want to accept anything from Germany or even purchase German products, a reaction born of deep-seated pain and trauma. I recall when, in their later years, my parents were offered an all-expenses-paid trip to Germany—an attempt, perhaps, to atone for the unspeakable atrocities. They politely declined, having vowed never to set foot in that land again.

The Holocaust was woven into the fabric of my upbringing, both at home and in school. I witnessed the enduring scars and agony etched on the faces of my grandparents, parents, aunts, and uncles—living testaments to humanity’s darkest hour. I read countless books, watched harrowing films, and wrote academic papers, attempting to comprehend the incomprehensible. Inspired by the vow of my generation, “Never Again,” I even studied martial arts. My subsequent visits to Israel deepened my Zionist convictions and solidified my advocacy for the Jewish state. Never, not even for a moment, did I consider reevaluating my feelings toward the German people, let alone contemplate the taboo concept of forgiveness for subsequent generations.

However, the horrific events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas perpetrated the worst atrocities against Jews in Israel since the Holocaust, marked a turning point. Beyond awakening many estranged or assimilated Jews to their Zionism and Jewish identity, it shed new light on Germany’s contemporary role in Israel’s defense. I was aware of America’s crucial military aid, essential for maintaining Israel’s edge against radical Islamic adversaries—modern-day Nazis who also seek our annihilation. Yet, I had underestimated the depth of the defense relationship between Israel and Germany. I knew of the advanced Saar 6 corvettes and the vital Dolphin and Dakar submarines, providing Israel with a critical second-strike capability against a nuclear-armed Iran. But I was unaware that Germany provides a full 30% of Israel’s weapons imports, steadfastly supporting us during the Gaza war even as much of the world turned its back. The very nation that once sought our destruction is now helping to ensure our survival.

It’s a stark and unsettling contradiction. Some might argue that the German people bear an indelible burden of guilt, a debt that can never be repaid. I, too, believe that none of us has the right to forgive them for the immense suffering inflicted upon our ancestors. Yet, here we are, decades since the Holocaust, witnessing a new generation of Germans striving to do better. Though it pains me to acknowledge it, I am grateful.

No amount of time or action can erase the horrific atrocities committed by the Germans during the Holocaust, and I will never fully reconcile with the German people after the genocide they perpetrated against the Jewish people (and to be clear, the conflict in Gaza, despite the sick propaganda of our terrorist enemies is a war initiated by Hamas, not a genocide). However, I will offer a measure of credit where it is due. Germany has, in some small fashion, started to confront the profound evil of its past and is, at the very least, attempting to stand with us now and, I hope, in the future.