Laura Goldman has worked on Wall Street for over twenty five years. When she started in the brokerage industry there were few women. If that was not enough of a challenge, she made Aliyah to Israel to make a difference. laurag@bezeqint.net
Don't just memorialize the dead. Remember the living.
By Laura Goldman
May 9, 2006
We Jews are great at remembering the dead. On Holocaust day, the state of Israel came to a standstill to memorialize those that perished at the hands of the Nazis. There were thousands of ceremonies here and all over the world.
It struck me as bizarre that during these thousands of ceremonies not one Jewish leader or Israeli politician even mentioned the Holocaust survivors that are still living. There was no talk of honoring and helping the living.
Why? Maybe it is the Jewish dirty little secret that nobody wants to talk about. But it is an undisputable fact that 2/3 of all Holocaust survivors in Israel live below the poverty line. Many of them are forced to choose between buying dentures and paying the electric bill. After all they have suffered and endured, this is not the way they should have to spend the end of their lives. They should be treated with honor and respect.
Helping other oppressed minorities has always been part of the Jewish credo. We are embarrassed that we did not do enough in Rwanda. It was Jews like Ruth Messinger that organized the rally for Darfur that Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel spoke at. Now Jewish organizations like the ADL headed by Holocaust survivor Abe Foxman are gearing up to help the Israeli Arabs. But we should not be undertaking these endeavors and forgetting the unfortunate in our own community.
When will it be the turn of the remaining Holocaust survivors to receive help from Jewish organizations? When will these Jewish organizations pressure the Israeli government to do the right thing?
I am asking that all Jewish organizations stop giving financial aid to Israel until the government acts to correct this shanda. It is always easier to help others. But a society is judged on how it treats its weakest link. The best way to memorialize the Holocaust is not by ceremonies and buildings but by caring and honoring the remaining survivors.
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