Young people from the scout organization Hashomer Hatzaïr met five survivors of concentration camps, while anti-Semitic acts have increased since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Five concentration camp survivors came to meet around twenty young people from the scout organization Hashomer Hatzair who defines himself as “Zionist and left-wing” at the Shoah Memorial in Paris. A strong symbol and the opportunity to send a message while anti-Semitic acts and remarks have been on the rise in France since the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7. Not letting history repeat itself is the desire of the participants in the ceremony.
When Ginette Kolinka, 98 years old, survivor of Birkenau, arrives at the Shoah Memorial, the young people step aside with respect. One of the organizers of the meeting explains: “Today, we brought together former deportees and young people fromHashomer Hatzaïr in order to show that history must not repeat itself, that history should stutter.”
Noa, 18, and Elia, 17, hold signs with black and white photos. “Here, we see the tags from 2023 and there, the tags from 1940explains Elia. They look alike and they show us that anti-Semitism is never over.” Ginette Kolinka explains: “When there are no more survivors, and unfortunately the youngest are 90, 92 years old, we are counting on all these young people who heard us to replace us.” And the Birkenau survivor confides: “I admire them, because when I was their age, it was war and that’s not what I was worried about. While they are interested in things like that, well done. “
“We don’t have to be afraid, that’s what they want”
Faced with these images, Régine Lippe and Rachel Jédinak look worried. They escaped the Vel d’Hiv roundup in 1942. “I didn’t think 12-year-olds would sing Nazi songs in the subwayRégine Lippe is alarmed. It’s absolutely terrible. I don’t understand where we sinned, where we did wrong.” Rachel Jédinak adds: “We have been going to schools, colleges and high schools for so many years. We do this work as best we can. And we hope that anti-Semitism will one day end.” And Ginette Kolinka continues: “We don’t have to be afraid, that’s what they want.”
“Minorities have always been victims. We can’t cope with people who are not like us.”
Ginette Kolinkaat franceinfo
These words touch these young scouts, but “in class, when we talk about what happened on October 7, there are people who turn towards me and make remarks to me that are clearly anti-Semitic, who also make jokes to me, like: ‘ Does it gas?’ Now I’m afraid of going back to high school, having to change my name on applications, having to remove the mezuzah from the door of my house, having to tell my grandfather to take off his kippah…” A fear, Elia concludes with his words, which is sad and which is serious.