Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) Secretart General Michael Chlenov on the necessity of preservation of historical memory.
 
There is an old joke that goes like this: a Jewish grandmother is told that the Chinese emperor is dead. “Oh my!” the old woman says worriedly. “Is this good or bad for the Jews?”

Our history, in fact, turned out in such a manner that, throughout the ages, whenever something happened anywhere, Jews asked themselves this very question, and do so to this day. And the answer to it is not always simple and unambiguous.

For instance, on the 30th of January, 2010, a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust was opened in Yantarniy, a small town under Kaliningrad. A memorial to the last act of the Holocaust. Auschwitz has already been freed, the 1945 spring of victory was already at hand, when the Nazis gathered the last Jews of East Prussia and killed them on the shores of the Baltic Sea...

It's obvious for any normal person that the Holocaust was something horrendously bad for the Jews. And that the erection of a memorial is probably good: people are remembering their relatives and compatriots, what is so bad about that?

 

But now, we hear accusations from around the world more and more often – for dozens of years these Jews have been making a fuss over their Holocaust, speculating on it to no end... Come on, it's time to stop talking about it! Sometimes you can hear the following stance: we've all suffered – some from Hitler, some from Stalin – what's the difference in the end? Let's have a common day of mourning, the 23rd of August, when the USSR made its pact with the Nazis, and stop all talks of particular national tragedies there...

So – is it good or bad for the Jews? And why do we insist on constantly maintaining the memory of the Holocaust? Maybe it's really time to stop, after 65 years?

The answer to this is a flat “no.” The memory of the Holocaust is important not only for the Jews. As strange as it may seem, it is important even for those who sympathize with those responsible for the Holocaust, overtly or covertly. It's like an inoculation against a disease. If it is not administered, then the epidemic will continue to rage on. But this shot needs to be renewed constantly, it can't be done just once...

Interesting things are happening with anti-Semitism today in general. On the territory of the former Soviet Union it, as many think, has quieted down a bit. It didn't disappear completely, of course, but became less noticeable. And this is while xenophobia in general is on the rise. Not too long ago, when young people gathered in the center of Moscow for a rally that was quite reminiscent of a pogrom, to demand the banishment of natives from the Caucasus and Central Asia. Their slogans included – though not in a great number – anti-Semitic ones.

It is obvious that a certain weakening of anti-Semitism in Russia should not calm Jews. Xenophobia is dangerous not only for those who it is aimed at, but also towards those whom it does not affect directly, in this case – for the Jews. It is dangerous for society in general, as well, because it disrupts political and social stability, which is in itself a prerequisite for normal life, including the national and religious minorities. Finally, xenophobia is amoral by its very nature, and for that reason completely unacceptable for the Jewish religious and national tradition, which asserts the unity and equality of all people.

The question “is this good or bad for the Jews?” appears before us every time human rights are violated somewhere. Recently the world has been witness to yet another “color revolution” - this time to a “Jasmine” revolution in Tunis. This Northern African Arabic country is one of the few Muslim countries of the Near East region where there is a small, only several hundred strong, but officially functioning Jewish community. Tunis does not have any official relations with Israel, and back in the day even gave refuge to the leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization with Yasser Arafat himself in the lead... At the same time, for the entire period of its independent existence since 1956, Tunis has proven itself to be a secular state with a fairly neutral and middle-of-the-road political course, Israel included.

And now a revolution! Is it good for the Jews or bad for Jews? It is probably too early to tell. But it is obvious that a revolution is a favorable backdrop for an increase in xenophobia – Jews are just about the only minority in the country, even though there is a small number of Christians among an absolute majority of Muslims, as well. There is a danger that in conditions of political anarchy the xenophobic tendencies, including anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli tendencies, could strengthen.

This is why the memory of the Holocaust is necessary for us as a looming reminder of the possible consequences of xenophobia should it not be kept in check by joint efforts of all people, including the Jews. Do not ask for whom the bell tolls – it tolls for us all!