melancholyWhen I was a kid, they used to set up a black oven in the corner of the JCC as part of the display. The oven was always alight. Always ready to receive the bodies. When we devote ourselves to good works, we can cure disease, save lives, help people, and when we devote ourselves to evil, we can create disease, end lives, ruin families and destroy hope. The choice is ours. And so today is a today to decide between good and evil. Between the choices that face us every day; whether we live a life of honor or a life of a shame. Whether the world will remember us with honor, or curse our names. Today, when we stand on the ashes of those who were burned in ovens like the ones at the JCC of my chiildhood, when we remember those who were hunted, shot, burned, starved, tortured, enslaved, and slaughtered by the millions, we should remember also to make our lives as blessing and redeem their loss as best we can, with good works of loving kindness.
In conclusion, I'd just like to add, as a counterpoint, this idea: Jew's on first. I should link the Dennis Leary audio from a few years ago where he and Lenny Clarke talk about how Mel Gibson is in rehab, and we've got a Jew playing first.