Regina Spektor Instagram – Today is Yom Hashoah- The Day of Remembrance. I had the pleasure of spending it at the Hunter College Hillel where my incredible friend Sam spoke about the dangers of prejudice and the importance of loving one another and being kind. It was touching and powerful to hear that outlook from someone who survived the worst of human darkness in the Holocaust… He left the camp an intact and loving human being- and continues to share humor and love wherever he goes.
Sam shared his stories, philosophy and some of his poems with the young students who came to listen and to be together on a campus (like so many others) where they don’t feel so welcome or safe.
After the talk they all had to leave. Because classes got cancelled. Because fellow Hunter students decided that The Day of Remembrance is somehow also The Day of Rage (this is not a joke). So they yelled horrible calls for terrorism and genocide and violence against the Jewish people outside the main entrance as we figured out a safe way to get Sam, in his 90’s and on a walker- to exit a University after speaking about the Holocaust. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone. And it hurt.
So maybe I will ask for one thing. Please don’t make us remember alone. Even if you sit quietly for 60 seconds and close your eyes and remember the 6 million Jewish souls that were murdered- you’re doing something. And if you can- think of one small thing- anything you can do- to help Jewish people across the globe feel less scared, less alone, and less othered. Because there is ALWAYS more than one solution – no matter how much that gets rhymed and chanted and no matter how loud.
The solution is LOVE.
Am Yisrael Chai 💙
Photos:
1. Sam on my left and Zalmen (musical director of the Yiddish Theater) on my right
2. Poster for the talk – if you go to Hunter and you’re Jewish- go join the sweet people of Hillel! Thanks to everyone who put on this event and shone some light onto the dark 🔦🩵
3. Chants of hate vs. emotional Jews (yes. We all cried. You would have too if you’d just listened to a survivor speak and then needed to hide him from the Intifada crowd)
4. Sam with chocolate cake in the boogie down from earlier days 🎶🍫🍩🍪 | Posted on 07/May/2024 06:09:12
