Parallel Universes?

Don’t be so quick to equate Nazi Germany and modern-day America—but don’t ignore what is right in front of you, either.

Is it instructive or destructive to consider the sociopolitical climate in today’s United States against popular sentiment in Nazi Germany?

Maybe it is both.

Informal conversations with a wide range of people—Jewish, non-Jewish, Survivors, descendants of Survivors, those outside the Survivor community, right-leaning, left-leaning, apolitical, young, more seasoned—reveal anxiety and uncertainty. These emotions follow high-profile incidents such as a deadly 2017 rally over plans to remove a Confederate statue in Charlottesville and the also-lethal January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.

These events—and too many others—attract people identifying as neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klansmen, Proud Boys, white nationalists, neo-fascists, and others. Video footage and photos coming from Charlottesville, the Capitol siege, and other disturbing incidents reveal, among other things, the presence of:

• Swastikas

• Hoodies bearing the words, “Camp Auschwitz” and “Staff”

• Shirts emblazoned with the message, “6MWE,” code for “6 Million Wasn’t Enough,” referring to the number of Jews murdered in the Shoah

• “Secret” handshakes confirming involvement in specific hate groups

• Tattoos of a valknut, or “knot of the slain,” an ancient Viking symbol misappropriated by Nazis as an emblem of their desire for “whiteness”

• KKK robes and hoods

• Nooses and gallows

• Confederate flags

It is no wonder so many people are alarmed.

MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT

Certainly, the Holocaust provides lessons we must heed to heal from the past, confront the prejudices and incivility of the present, and set the groundwork for a just and more tranquil future. Still, as tempting as it may be for people to speak in absolutes about Nazi Germany and today’s U.S., it is often neither constructive nor accurate.

We must be careful how we frame discussions that—whether overtly or subtly—link current events with the Holocaust.

Consider the following:

• The Holocaust was a unique historical event. There is only one Shoah. There will always only be one Shoah. Yes, there have been and are and likely will be other genocides—and every one of them is to be condemned—but they are not The Holocaust. And America is not experiencing a holocaust (small h intentional).

• Still, for some, modern-day rallies, demonstrations, demonization of minority groups, and violent incidents may evoke images of the unrest, baseless hatred, and uncertainty that led to the Holocaust. Survivors, especially, may become quite upset upon seeing news stories of crowds blindly following a charismatic leader or young people wearing Nazi garb. Every Survivor’s experience is different. And every Survivor’s experience is valid. There is a difference between recognizing and responding to warning signs and outrightly calling what is occurring in the U.S. a holocaust.

• It is never okay to call a politician with whom you disagree Hitler. Doing so diminishes the agony of those who succumbed to or endured mass gassings; psychological, physical, and sexual torture; and destruction perpetrated by command of the real Hitler. Yes, there have been and are and will be other dictators—and every one of them is to be condemned—but there is only one who was Hitler.

• Likewise, it is inappropriate to label infuriating people Nazis. Your child’s bus driver is not a Nazi because he stringently enforces a no-gum-chewing rule. Your doctor is not a Nazi for putting you on a strict low-sodium diet.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

We all must continue the dialogue in a constructive, rather than destructive, manner:

1. Speak out when you witness hate and inequity, but don’t automatically equate it with your family’s Holocaust experience. If, for instance, a Black church is vandalized with racist graffiti, do not liken the incident to, say, Kristallnacht. You can empathize with and support another community without stripping them of ownership of their experience.

2. When friends or colleagues casually throw around terms like Holocaust and Nazi, patiently explain why those words are so emotionally charged and why they must be reserved for use in the proper context. Overuse and misuse of these terms diminishes their meaning and impact.

3. Differentiate between elected officials and business leaders who inappropriately reference the Holocaust because of ignorance and those who speak because of their deep-seated hatred and biases. Patiently educate the former. But call out the latter: Phone or email their offices. Write letters to the editor. Post their comments with a brief corrective explanation on your social media. Boycott their products.

YOUR TURN

We want to know what you think. How can we preserve the lessons of the Holocaust without exploiting them against the backdrop of modern-day America?