"We Will Never Forget...."

The Holocaust. One of the world's most tragic events. Over 6,000,000 innocent people slaughtered among those 6 million, 1/2 million of them were children. The Holocaust happened all throughout Europe and the rest of the world stood by and let it happen. The Holocaust, although a terrible event, is important for us to learn about. We don't want another Holocaust, ever.

Holocaust means "death by fire". All over the world there are holocausts, but there is only one Holocaust.

Between 1941 and 1945 millions upon millions of Jewish people, African Americans, homosexuals, mentally disabled people, and other "different" people were slaughtered by Nazis.. Although Jewish people were the main victims of the Holocaust, they were not the only ones.

To begin to tell you everything that happened during the Holocaust would be impossible. So much happened in less than a decade and it all started when Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany.

Hitler's main goal was to create a pure society. He wanted a world made up of only Aryan people. Essentially blonde hair, blue eyes. The irony in that is, Hitler had dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark mustache.

Hitler hated all Jewish people and anyone who was different. Another ironic thing is that Hitler was part Jewish. He had Jewish blood.

The Holocaust was Hitler's attempt to wipe out an entire group of people off the planet. To annihilate all Jewish people.

For years the rest of the world stood aside and watched as every day thousands of people were tortured and killed. Worked to death, starved to death, murdered because an SS solider was in a bad mood, and every other horrific thing you can imagine. No one came to their aid.

Finally in 1945, action was taken. Those still living in concentration camps were liberated. The Holocaust was brought to an end all over the world.

I was lucky enough to hear a Holocaust survivor speak. Yesterday I went to a local Holocaust Museum with school. It was a truly unique experience. Everything in the museum was, of course, real. Some of the pictures were very gruesome and just unbelievable. You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

The person I heard speak had a great story. Her name was Maria. She told of how she lost her dad and other members of her family. She told us about how she was transported from camp to camp. How she had practically no food. Being afraid of taking a shower. Because you did not know if water or gas would come out of the shower heads.

To hear a first hand account of what happened was a very special experience. As I was listening to her speak I could picture in my head what was happening, although I know that the picture in my head is nowhere near as bad and horrific as the real thing. And at the same time I was picturing it in my head I thought about how the memories had to be playing in her head at that same moment. How hard it must be for her to talk about what had happened. I had so much respect for her in that moment alone.

Maria was liberated on April 15, 1945. She was 19 and weighed 57 pounds.

After she was finished speaking we were able to ask her questions. I asked her if her experience diminished or changed her faith. She answered me, with her chin held high: "No. Absolutely not. I am proud to be a Jew." That is truly incredible and highly admirable.

Every day Holocaust survivors are dying. One day, there will be none left. If you ever have the opportunity to hear a Holocaust survivor speak, do not pass it up. You won't regret it, I promise.

The greatest thing we can learn from a Holocaust survivor is the importance of acceptance. We have to learn to accept everyone as individuals. We must learn to be tolerant of other ethnicities and cultures. We must never let another Holocaust happen.

Gleichheit für alle
(Equality for all)

Peace out,
Jay~Jay

Change

Cheers of success echo throughout the country. Celebration is everywhere. For today, history has been made. Today, America has elected its first African American president, Barrack Obama.

Sometimes it makes my head spin to think about the word change. In the few short years that I have been alive, the world has changed greatly. Technology has progressed rapidly. In my time, from the walkman to the super sleek iPod. From the monsterous desktop computers to a compact slimline. From just a regular cell phone to a mini-computer with phone capabilites. Things have changed.

My homes have changed, my friends have changed. I have changed. Change is a part of life. Change is good.

Hopefully, if you are at least 18, you voted in the election. it is important to exercise the right to vote. It gives you a voice. No vote is insignificant. If you don't vote, then you must be okay with the way things are and you don't want change.

The way the economy is now, change is good. We need change.

Let's hope that the change coming our way is for the better.

Peace out,
Jay~Jay