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Zacharya Cutler
Dreamer and hi-tech entrepreneur living in the holy land

This Yom Hashoah Was Different

Every Yom Hashoah I think about my Bubby and Grandpa. My brave, dear grandparents, Joe and Rose Adelman,  of blessed memory, who survived the concentration camps. Their determination to survive and rebuild their lives inspires me constantly and informs my worldview. I think about their siblings, parents and other relatives that got murdered by the Nazis. I think about the millions of others. What unites my thoughts is that they’re based around memory.
This Yom Hashoah was very different from all the other ones I’ve experienced. Because this year, my thoughts were based around the present.
This year, the Holocaust doesn’t only feel like a chapter of history that we need to remember. With great sadness, it feels this year more like a present-day nightmare warning sign of what can happen when the hatred of Jews becomes mainstream and accepted, and the fight against it becomes dulled.
I was deeply involved with my Chabad house in New York before making aliyah. As a proud American, I always felt so secure in the US as a Jew.
I’m livid that now big noses and Star of David dog collars can parade the pages of the most respected newspaper in the United States. I’m furious that pogroms can murder Jews, rip apart synagogues and instill horrific fear in Jewish communities -not in Poland, not in Russia, not in Germany. Not in 1930.  In Pittsburgh. In San Diego. In 2019.
I’m angry that members of Congress and other leaders can masquerade constant, unfair vilification of the Jewish state as “legitimate“ Israeli policy critiques. No! Anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism. I’m sad that the Labor party in Britain has become a cesspool for anti-Semitism. I’m shocked that so many Jews, friends of mine, who used to staunchly defend Israel during college have become so exposed to anti-Israel propaganda that they now walk a fine line when it comes to supporting Israel.
I’m angry. I’m pissed. I’m sad. I’m alarmed. Most of all, though, I’m Jewish. I’m proud. I’m Zionist. I’m confident. I’m Israeli. I’m very honored. I’m standing tall. I’m fighting this scourge. With words. With my heart and brain. With where I choose to live.
I will never rest in the fight for my beloved state, land and nation.
I’m deeply reassured by the undented resolve of Israel. By the fighting spirit I see in my fellow countrymen, my brothers and sisters. By the colossal courage in the warriors of Israel, the defenders of our people – in battle, in halls of power, in the media, on campuses.
May the memory of the murdered be honored and bring light. May the resolve of the living be strengthened and resolute. May the strength of Israel grow and multiply. May the whole world know only love and peace and unity.
About the Author
Zacharya Cutler is an Israeli-American serial entrepreneur. His writings on Israel and technology have been published in TIME, Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, Fox News and other publications.