April 18, 2003/Nisan 16 5763, Vol. 55, No. 34
Signals of hopeEditorialIt is good to see some faint stirrings in Jerusalem and Ramallah that suggest a possible reopening of meaningful discussions after the awful two and half years of Palestinian terrorist violence.Under strong pressure from the West and particularly Washington, responsible Palestinian officials chose a prime minister who could counter Yasser Arafat's incompetence and corruption. And Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon offered a realistic view of a willingness to make painful Israeli concessions to achieve a stable peace, including surrendering some West Bank settlements. Perhaps the fall of the Saddam regime has awakened Arab leaders to the consequences of a continued failure to deal with the realities of their region. The fall of the Hussein regime in Baghdad may create useful momentum for progress. We need to be prepared for the Palestinians missing a chance for a much better future - as they have so often in the past under Arafat - while hoping that the war in Iraq at last awakens them to a historic opportunity. Jewish Renaissance Media
Power of memoryThe memories don't fade away. Nor should they.Every year, Jews across the state, nation and world remember and commemorate Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. But this day is about much more than memory. Holocaust survivor and Nobel Prize recipient Elie Wiesel explains that every Jew is a storyteller. Our unique right and responsibility is to tell our story, sharing memories of suffering, survival and success to all peoples. In the Valley, a number of our storytellers are Holocaust survivors. Members of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors' Association have been telling their story at hundreds of schools to thousands of students for 15 years. One of their goals is to put a face on the millions lost - husbands and wives, grandparents and grandchildren. Peoples of every race, religion and ethnicity should hear the tale and mark the memories. To mark Yom Hashoah this year, many events are scheduled across the Valley - hosted by organizations such as the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors' Association, the Arizona Arts Chorale and the Sun City Ministerial Association - and held at synagogues, a church and even a law firm. After all, the story of Yom Hashoah is not just a Jewish story. It is a human story. The tale should be told and retold to prevent horrors like the Holocaust from happening again. If only humanity would listen. |
