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PO Box 345
San Antonio, Texas 78292-0345 God has not forgotten the Jewish people, and neither have we.
April 2017
Gary Hedrick
NEVER FORGET! OR WILL WE?
When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after
them who did not know the LORD nor the work which He had done for Israel (Judges 2:10).
Although these words were written thousands of years ago to the Jewish people, there is a
warning for us todaywere never more than one generation away from forgetting important
historical events or deleting them from our collective memory.
This is especially true with regard to the Holocaust. As the World War II generation is being
gathered to their fathers, another generation is arising that knows little, if anything, about
the Holocaust. And if they do know, there seems to be no emotional connection to the events.
Let me give you an example.
Recently, a number of young people documented their visits to the Holocaust Memorial in
Berlin and the extermination camp at Auschwitz with smiling and silly selfies. Some of our
own staff members witnessed similar behavior at Dachau last September when laughing tourists
jostled each other for the best selfie in front of the Arbeit Macht Frei gate.
When Israeli-German artist, Shahak Shapira, discovered these insensitive photos posted on
Facebook, he decided to act. He grabbed the photos from the offenders Facebook pages and
blended in appropriate Holocaust backgrounds. He then reposted the pictures to an online
gallery. Amazingly, almost every one of the young people involved found their edited photos,
got the point, and apologized. One week later, after his gallery had had more than 2.5 million
visits, Shapira took it down.
Why bother mentioning this? Because sadly, such insensitivity is all too common. And, after
trivializing Holocaust events and suffering, people tend to find it easier to engage in anti-
Semitism, a scourge that believers everywhere must fight againstnot just for the sake of
Gods chosen people, but for our own sake and the sake of our children and grandchildren.
In Genesis 12:3, God promises not only to bless, but also to curse depending on how we treat
the Jewish people. Thats a warning we must take seriously. We have a responsibility to make
sure the next generation (and the one after that) knows the truth!
BUT WHAT CAN I DO?
If you think anti-Semitism is not a problem in America, think again. Since the 1st of January,
100 Jewish Community Centers in America have received bomb threats; recently, dozens of
headstones were vandalized in a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri. Not long after that,
100 more Jewish graves were desecrated in Pennsylvania. Anti-Semitism is rampant on our
college campuses. Its time to take action!
Attitudes are first formed in the home and parents and grandparents are biblically mandated
to teach their children proper attitudes towards God and towards those He loves. Here are
some suggestions for doing that:
1. Challenge anti-Semitism wherever you see it, even(or especially) at church. Dont
tolerate Holocaust or anti-Semitic jokes. Let your children see your love for the
Jewish people.
2. Provide your children and grandchildren with age-appropriate books about the Holocaust,
and the Jewish people. Point your college-aged young people to more balanced informa-
tion sources like Israel Today, HonestReporting.com, Prager University (PragerU.com),
and OneForIsrael.org.
3. Include Jewish festivals and feasts in your own familys celebrations. Encourage your
church to host a Messiah in the Passover Seder and attend it with your children and
grandchildren.
4. Take your children and grandchildren to Holocaust museums and support these mu-
seums financially.
5. Remind your children and grandchildren regularly of the debt that we owe to the Jewish
peopleespecially for the writing and preservation of the Scriptures (both Old and New
Testaments), and for being the earthly ancestors of the Messiah.
6. Show them how the Jewish people continue to be a blessing to the whole world, especially
through their medical and technological innovations. Show them a list of Jewish Nobel
Prize winners. Together, search the Internet to find lists of Israeli inventions. Direct them
to Israels Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to learn about Israels humanitarian efforts
around the world.
7. Teach them the Scriptures and show them Gods covenant plan for the Jewish people.
Teach your children to love the Jewish people, and to remember that God still loves Is-
rael and wants them to be saved. Emphasize the importance of passing along these facts
to the generations who will also follow after them.
8. PRAY! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and pray for the salvation of the Jewish people.
How are you fighting anti-Semitism?
Send your stories to PO Box 345, San Antonio, Texas 78292 or info@cjfm.org.