Letters
The lesson of the Holocaust
Max Kleinman (“Whither Holocaust Education”) makes a heartfelt case for the importance of Holocaust education. However, his essay misses the mark in two significant ways. First, Mr. Kleinman’s argument seems to rest on the premise that people, including Jews, need to learn about the Holocaust solely in order to reduce antisemitism. An important goal for sure, but one that cheapens the deeper, universal message of the Holocaust. The second flaw reflects the first. That is, in defending the actions of the Israeli government in its war to defeat Hamas and free the hostages with talking points, Mr. Kleinman fails to acknowledge the primary mindset that allowed the Holocaust to occur: the dehumanization of Jews. When a government and its people fail to recognize the humanity of another group, those in power have free rein to brutalize and destroy the weak. Sadly, Bibi Netanyahu’s government has failed to recognize the humanity of non-Hamas Palestinians in Gaza. Ultimately, Mr. Kleinman is correct. We do need to learn the lessons of the Holocaust, just not only self-serving lessons.
Peter Herbst
Montclair
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