(74) jerry lawrence, January 5, 2010

The sign must stay.

We must never forget.

(73) Anonymous, January 3, 2010

we must never forget!

People taking the sign must want all the signs that show the Hollocast existed to disappear so that it can be denied and forgotten. As the child of survivers, I see that this is my parents biggest fear. WE MUST NEVER FORGET!

(72) leeanne, January 3, 2010

KEEP THE SIGN

We must keep the sign or the world will forget the horrendious things done in Germany.For we forget, we will do again. we must never forget the horrow of the Holocoust, or it will be done again

(71) Anonymous, January 3, 2010

Agree!

I agree intirely with Rabbi Salomon!

(70) Anonymous, January 2, 2010

I think your point is well made- one could take that point further and say our young Jewish people who are not encouraged to marry other Jews are also forgetting, and if we, their parents don't talk about the importance of perpetuating our religion, it will be lost through intermarriage.

(69) donald blue, January 1, 2010

the reason for the theft of the auschwitz sign

the theft of the sign is an outrage against a historical piece of antiquity and all the people that were murdered at the hands of the nazi's--especially the jewish people. i believe that whoever stole the sign was trying to erase any visible signs of the fact that this horrible place did actually exist. thus, if the sign was gone then maybe just maybe people will forget the horrors that were commited in this awfull place by wicked and evil men and women.

(68) Edwin Vogt, January 1, 2010

The Shoah

The Shoah never ends..it is always a moment ago, a moment ago. This is the impression of only one, a house painter with little education. But G-d has blest me with a gift far beyond the value of all on earth:the ability to write for His Name's sake. My manuscrirpt, The Waves Of Silence, Poems Of the Shoah, is composed in four parts: Prelude To Madness, If Angels Could weep, Cries Only G-d Heard, and The Burden of Memory. Professor Elie Wiesel, recipient of the Nobel Peace prize in 1989 said of my efforts, "Indeed your words are very moving". Nothing under the sun is more rewarding to me than that complimentary tribute.If ever published, all royalties will go to Yad Vashem.

(67) devorah sklaroff, December 31, 2009

Of the Shoah itself, and now of the theft of the Auschwitz sign, one repeatedly asks, "WHY?" However, even if we were to know the answer(s) in extensive detail, the assault against us Jews remains unmitigated. There was and is no justification for genocide, though perpetrators may rationalize and sympathizers may concur. There was and is no purpose for theft, though robbers and burglars may commit the crime to salve an immediate need, and social commentators may determine that that incident stemmed from injuries sustained years before. There is no reason to do harm, and we, as a light unto nations, must be in the forefront of resisting any efforts of any individual, any group, or any nation to inflict that harm. ZACHOR! devorah sklaroff north miami beach, florida

(66) Jay, December 30, 2009

One more sad day

Shalom Rabbi. I am not Jewish, but I am blessed by your on line Aish.com and it's articles on my spiritual journey. Thoughts of the Holocaust still bring tears to my eyes, not just because I've had several friends that had numbers tatooed on their arms, but also because anyone could visit such an atrocity on their fellow human beings. Now the Muslims, for whatever reason deny that it ever happened. I'm very sorry for them and their distorted way of looking at life. One hopes fervently that someone didn't lower themselves to stealing it to resurrect it. Peace friends jay

(65) Mary, December 30, 2009

The Sign has Significance

I believe that the taking of the Auchwitz MUST be put back in it's original spot. It has meaning, it has depth, it has a message. The taking of that sign was more than wrong, it was a crime against God and humanity. Although it was for a death camp, it makes it even more valuable as a people. "Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it." Even as a Christian, I pray for Israel, peace for Jerusalem, pray for the IDF for safety, and have taught my children what a concentration/death camp means. We need to keep the past alive, as to not relive it.

(64) Steve, December 30, 2009

Shabbos is the sign? I think not

It may be that, historically, shabbos was the one thing that distinguished Jews, but that clearly isnt' the case now. I think that, ultimately, it's simply a sensibility, that I belong to this people, this history. It's self-identification. Anything else ends up being about what you practice vs. what I practice, which is a dead-end in the new century.

(63) Edward, December 30, 2009

The theft of the Auschwitz sign will never be able to erase what took place behind it.

The theft of the Auschwitz sign will never be able to erase what took place behind it. I think that the people behind the theft are no better than those who had it erected. I hope with all my heart that the visible evidence of such brutal acts by man remain for the world to see

(62) Rod Cusens, December 30, 2009

The Auschwitz Sign

Irrespective of our understanding (attempt to) or interpretation of why the sign was removed, I am reminded of a time when G-d heard the cries of His people and set them free - Exodus from Egypt - King David records in Psalm 22 - "our fathers trusted in Thee".. there were however those too at the time of the Exodus who reminded Moses of what they had told him when they "faced" death in the wilderness (Exodus 14:12 and 13) - "for it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness". Moses responded and so did G-d. (Exodus 14:30 and 31) - Israel was FREE yet no "sign" left in Egypt or in the wilderness. Israel has been persecuted over many centuries and has fought many wars; we are reminded in Holy Scripture (a TRUE SIGN) of G-d's favour upon His people Israel - of those things that happened and are yet to take place. Let us keep those things that are eternal close to our hearts. It is G-d's love that sets us free Be blessed - Rod Cusens

(61) Karyn, December 30, 2009

It must remain for ever more

Holocaust Museums, and Auchwitz itself, must remain for jews and non jews alike to see. As the generation who experienced The holocaust die out, more opportunities for 'denyers' arise. In 100 years, itwill be forgotten, unless preserved. Our ancestors deserve better.

(60) michael perry, December 30, 2009

must be preserved

shalom Rabbi Yaakov Salomon yes the sign must remain forever as well as all other remains so our generation will know what happened here to our peoples, if man does not not learn from past mistakes he is destined to repeat them. We are at WAR with the Evil Prince of this world and he would like nothing better than to blind our children and alow them to forget this happened we must never stop telling the world about the evil that took place here G-D Bless

(59) Annie, December 30, 2009

It's back-good work.

What a bizarre theft. It would be unsaleable, I would have thought. What a dreadful bit of film of the German soldier herding an old lady along with a whip when the poor old darling (and even if she was an old gorgon it's just as wrong) had less than two hours to live and was so bewildered that she didn't know what to do. She looked so little and helpless. Yes, keep the memory alive; if the Germans don't like it, tough. They should have thought of that before.

(58) sara, December 30, 2009

What's your sign?

No, that's not a bad pickup line. What is the sign of a Jew today?We can't say that it's how we dress, since many other nations copy our style of dress, and we copy theirs. We can't say it's our language, since most outside of Israel don't speak fluent Hebrew. It's not circumcision, since others have taken that on for health reasons. No, the sign of a Jew today is keeping Shabbat. We are the only people who follow the laws as they were given to Moshe and keep the Shabbat. There is an old saying: More than the Jews have kept Shabbos, the Shabbos has kept the Jews. Today, it is the only sign that is uniquely ours.

(57) Anonymous, December 30, 2009

I agree with your perspective on the theft of the sign. It must be a sign from Hashem to us that if we don't teach and educate the future generations about the Holocaust, it will be lost and become as if it never happened G-d forbid.

(56) Joe Gilinsky, December 30, 2009

Theft of Auschwitz Sign

Dear Rabbi Salomon, I was shocked to read of the theft of the gate sign! I am on vacation in Texas and have not read much news! Your comments were most interesting and it seems clear to me that this was not the work of vandals as the removal of the sign presumably requires specialised equipment whereas vandals merely cause damage. Secondly, I would rule out common theft as the value of the sign could not be more than a few Zloty to a scrap merchant. To me, this is a flagrant slap in the face of 6 million victims, their families and the faith that they represent, whether Judaism or Christianity. The sign probably hangs in the hide-out of some Neo Nazi organization powerful enough to bribe camp guards (the new kind) to turn a blind eye to the theft. Antisemitism is rife and if Nigerians en route to Detroit can board an aircraft in this day and age with undetected explosive material, how difficult can it be to steal a sign? Possibly this is a "sign" that we, the Jewish people, are to be vigilant as the world is becoming more hostile towards Judeo-Christian principles and somehow I feel that it may be up to us to be more aware of and speak up against the inflamatory anti Israel-Jewish commentary that seems to abound these days. Thank you and kind regards, Joe Gilinsky

(55) Anonymous, December 30, 2009

The sign says "it happened here."

That sign is and should be a testimonial of what happened and where it happened. The irony of the sign should never be forgotten and the lie it enunciates should never be rehabilitated into a truism.

(54) SJ Addeo, December 30, 2009

Auschwitz Sign

Through some strange machinations I found myself sharing a house in the Caribbean with a history teacher from Canada. Looking up to see me reading a book by Primo Levi, he quietly said "no matter how many words they can write today, you can not imagine." He then began an incredible story of his youth. It seems his father was one of the first political prisoners in Auschwitz and his aunt actually dated a young Hitler. To make a very long story short, he is tortured by not listening to his father when he decried Hitler's view of things. He also said to me "never doubt that it can happen again. It may not be in Germany, although I'm not so sure, but it could happen anywhere and I am sorry to say I see some of the leanings in the US. It can happen anywhere.” While I would respect the views of any survivor, I firmly believe that any Jew who forgets the Holocaust does so at the risk of his children, his children’s children and the future Judaism itself. I also believe that we should begin informing the world as to the total number of people killed by this viscous onslaught against humanity. Certainly the Jewish people took the greatest loss but there were millions of others that were killed because of Hitler’s war. Every day there are countless words of hatred against Jews and others splashed across this great Internet. Although many may criticize these “neo-Nazis” they still keep spewing out their vitriolic nonsense and affect at least some readers. Being a Jew has rewards but also carries a responsibility to keep this wonderful word of G-d alive for generations to come.

(53) , December 30, 2009

How to prosper and be strong

We as Jew know what we don't want to happen so we must concentrate on what we do want to happen. Jews will prosper from learning the greatness of their religion but not the fear of never again . Never again comes from just being strong and Israel is just the beginning not the end all. We have a great history culture and judiac life which we should be teaching our children so they can teach their. This is in no way a disrespect toward the millions who lost their lives

(52) Boaz, December 30, 2009

Memorials such as this one need be protected by the German Nation to show good cause to the world that they ethics obigaions are to be kept, secured and remembered in they Nation and to the world that the Holocaust will Never take place again.

(51) HOPE BERMAN, December 30, 2009

RIGHT ON!SAFE BUT SORRY SHOULD BE THE MOTTO.WE CANNOT AND MUST NOT AND WILL NOT BE SORRY

THE HOLOCAUST MUST NEVER BE ERADICATED FROM THE EARTH. I LIGHT A EXTRA CANDLE EVERY SHABBAT AND CHAG FOR ALL THE MILLIIONS OF JEWISH WOMEN YOUNG AND OLD WHO NEVER GOT TO LIGHT. I SPONSER MY GRANDCHILDREN TO MARCH OF THE LIVING... WE HAVE WHERE TO LIVE AND THRIVE IN OUR ERETZ YISRAEL..MAY HASHEM BLESS US TO KEEP OUR TREASURE SAFE FOR ALL YIDDISHKEIT.

(50) Chana, December 30, 2009

My people came through that gate......

I so agree with the Rabbi, as for me this sign has great meaning as it was there, prominently visible, for the 6 people my family so loved and who must have known that they never would be "free" but go to their death instead. 6 beautiful, intelligent and educated people, who never had done anything to anyone but good and whose lives were terminated, simply because they were Jews. That sign should stay and be seen by all the world as a reminder of the crimes commited against my people and above all serve as a reminder that indeed the Holocaust took place, that is was not a "made-up" piece of fiction. To all my fellow Jews, especially those of you who sat, ate and slept snugly in your homes here in the US and whose lives were not touched by the Holocaust, simply because you were luckily living far away from it all, please do not shrug your shoulders when the subject of the Holocaust comes up......do not laugh and say:"Holocaust, oh, we never mention that...something we don't know anything about" By doing so you will not do honor to all those who suffered excruciating humiliation, horror and pain before they were marched off to the gaschambers of Auschwitz, Birkenau and the other places of shame the Nazis owned, but you will look like a coward, making light of an unspeakable evil plan. aimed at all of us, including yourself. of the murderers of my people and .

(49) Bob Mark, December 29, 2009

Very relevant comments on theft of sign from Auschwitz

Your words on the theft of the sign from Auschwitz should be noted by all too many of our friends who are already starting to minimize the Holocaust and the horrors it brought on the Jews. Most of all, Jews must remember and we must teach it to the goyim as well. And, your final comments about being alert to me says that all of us as Jews must never get complacent. It can happen anywhere if we begin to forget and become negligent. Thank you, I hope many get your message. Bob Mark

(48) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

agree

powerful words. i am working on a grad degree in holocaust and genocide studies. this semester i am taking a course on the final solution. i will include your thoughtful and insightful comments in class discussion. thank you.

(47) Deborah, December 29, 2009

The Sign

In a perfect world, where anti-Semitism is gone, where any minoirity is not a victim of hatred, then maybe we can get rid of the signs. As long as people believe and expound lies about Jews, Blacks, any minoity, then we need the sign to remind us of how dark the human soul can get. Yes, Auschwitz was a death camp, but the lie was there for all who entered-Jews, but also Gypsies, homosexuals, resisters and all 'undesireables' according to the Third Reich. The sign is a reminder that a lie can be deadly, and that lesson has yet to be learned by many in the world. I lost most of my family in the camp system. A bigger crime is to deny it happened. I have wondered, as a public denial of the Holocaust came again as High Holy days started, what would the world think if all of a sudden people said the Crusades didn't happen. No Islamic people were killed, it is something said just to make others look bad. I know both events are true. Sadly. But as long as people feel free to change history so they look better, then the visual of what a lie is and can do needs to be kept before our eyes and that of humanity.

(46) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

On Pesach we understand that we all came out of Egypt. Let us understand that we all came out of the holocaust. We were a people, we are a people, we will always be a people.

(45) Marilyn Cihen, December 29, 2009

theft of Holocaust sign "Arbeit makht frei"

Never forget! The sign is a constant reminder of the Holocaust camps. The theft of the sign was a signal that others want us to forget the Holocaust. Never Forget!

(44) Harvey Rogers, December 29, 2009

iT STILL APPLIES

tHE LESSON TO BE LEARNED IS THAT IRRATIONAL HATRED OF JEWS WILL NOT GO AWAY.TODAY AND TOMORROW YOU WILL HEAR FROM PEOPLE SUCH AS RADICAL MUSLIMS.. SUPPOSEDLY RESPECTABLE JOURNALISTS, CARTOONISTS, POLITICIANS, EX POLITICIANS, PROFESSIONAL HATERS, JEWISH APOLOGISTS AND TRAITORS AND ORDINARY PEOPLE. THE SAME THINGS AS HAVE BEEN SAID FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. WE SHOULD CONTIUNE TO AGRESSIVELY TRY TO COUNTER THESE ANTI- JEWISH WORDS AND ACTIONS. jUST SITING BACK AND DOING NOTHING IS NOT A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE.

(43) Allan Shaffer, December 29, 2009

Maybe the true message is that not only should we not forget,but that we should teach our children that even the goyim in America,under the "right" conditions,may try the same or similar things.A Jew,is outside the realms of this world,and will never be understood by the rest of the worlds,regardless of how "liberal" that might be.

(42) Y.E. Skaist, December 29, 2009

We must also never forget what Judaism is ...

Remembering what happened is extremely important. Memory is what gives us an identity as a people. Unfortunately many dedicated to perpetuating the memory of the holocaust do not even pay lip service to what Judaism is nor to what world Jewry was before the turbulence of modern times changed its face. Even more important is the six issues we are obligated as Jews to remind ourselves about. Every one of them could very well be a contributor to prevent something like the holocaust happening again.

(41) Timothy, December 29, 2009

As the old saying goes "out of sight out of mind". This is particularly true if people wish to deny the event(s) which took place or wish no longer too remember them. Either way the end result(s) are the same if we remove the land marks future generations will no longer know what truly happened and this is what I see going on in this generation of political correctness. As the elderly pass who survived the horrors and the evidence is removed nothing will be left to validate the truth! We must be vigilant to never allow this sort of thing to happen to any people ever again.

(40) Gary, December 29, 2009

The #1 Sin

The reason for taking the sign? Greed. Nothing has changed. Money is still the root of all kinds of evil.

(39) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

WE MUST NEVER FORGET!

THE SIGN WAS STOLEN SO THAT PEOPLE WILL FORGET THE DECEPTION OF IT ALONG WITH THE HOLOCOST....PROPHECY IS BEING FULFILLED AND ANOTHER PERSECUTION IS TO COME WHICH WILL INVOLVE BOTH CHRISTIANS AND JEWS...EVIL WILL BECOME MORE EVIL AS THE SCRIPTURE SAYS..I PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM ....AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE ....WE MUST NEVER EVER FORGET......I AM A CHRISTIAN.

(38) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

losing the sign would be tantamount to losing awareness; this world wants to deny the horrors that humans are capable of performing; all evidence must be preserved. Look at what is happening with denial of our history at Har Habayit !!

(37) FrankJC, December 29, 2009

Lest We Forget

Thankyou for your challenging words. My father died so that I could live to be free. We MUST ensure that the legacy of hate that caused so much suffering, is never forgotten. we must ensure that the people who allowed themselves to be manipulated, to look the other way, have a constant reminder. we may never know the reason for the theft. my belief is that it was driven by shame. to think that someone would want to remember the suffering through some sort of trophy -- is sick. Maybe the theft was a way of reminding us again of the hateful events that took place. I can only pray the God will encourage His faithful people, whatever religious hat they choose to wear, to be vigilant, LEST WE FORGET.

(36) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

I think it was best said by #15.

(35) ruth, December 29, 2009

look for a sign

I think this is something to think about and I do believe there's a ring around all stories, and this one's deep. Where is or was meaning to be derived in those camps of horror. Well I say, it was not a Hollow Cost, and to not remember, what happened, this terrible, horrific time in history, is to lose our humanity, because those were times when it was totally about humanity, the lack of, the degradation, and also about dignity and spirit, about a beacon that shines today, still, in that still small voice, that this story, yes, even this story, had a learning curve and that is, as you so eloquently write: We MUST NEVER forget. The world MUST NEVER FORGET. And yet the world does forget, because there are such atrocities, even today.

(34) Martha, December 29, 2009

Lest we forget

Very similar but not the same historically or culturally I know. We must, I am a Gentile, never forget the Holocaust and the suffering and extermination of Jewish people in Europe. In North American and even Canada, the government stopped Jewish refugees from escaping Europe. I am sorry for that. I educate myself about the Holocaust and I say, Lest we forget the loss of precious life and culture in Germany. This stolen sign is just a start to the loss of memory of the Holocaust. I agree with the thoughts of Rabbi Solomon. Martha Ronalds Canada

(33) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

2009 most profound

contributor to the Jewish people. Who got the most votes???? Are you going to post a list of the top 10 or top 5?? Please...I think it would be interesting.

(32) Don Kastner, December 29, 2009

A form of idenity.

A sign is not much unless it is use to identify something. By not having the sign, it is just another building. What you don't see, you don't remember. You might say that this was a ID theft.

(31) Emily Armstrong, December 29, 2009

never again

I was a child of 14 when I first heard about the death camps and to this day at age 80 and a devout Catholic I am still horrified. I am of German descent and find it impossible to forgive my people for what was done by them. I heard comments made by visiting German cousins when I was age 7 that still remain in my head today. The hatred horrified me and if not for my father stopping them, they would have continued. They were angry with him for doing so, but to this day I admire and love my father for standing up for what was right. Don't let the world ever forget. Protect that sign and teach, teach, teach your children always about how terrible it was. God Bless!!

(30) Jeff Kampf, December 29, 2009

Langer...

The great Holocaust author, Lawrence Langer reminds that the "Holocaust" is now the "rock in the stream of humanity". We will never be able to move it...

(29) Dr.Michael Zidonov, December 29, 2009

Same Horse Different Colour

There are a number of reasons why we should not ever forget the horror of The Third Reich ... One is that we already have idiots in vehement denial that these things ever happened, another is that we need to teach our children what happened to us before so that they can recognize The Fourth Reich for what it is and preclude those same horrors from being repeated.With AntiSemitism as rampant as it is today, seemingly worse than ever before, a little memory is a good thing ... And another good reason to preserve the Signs of the past, is that, the Motto,"In God We Trust" on U.S. Money will be replaced by the ACLU-Liberal Doo-Gooders with the slogan, "Arbeit Macht Frei" ... because we are too far away from the horrors, those of us old enough to remember are NOT teaching the children the importance of remembering, and that is why as a Society, we will let it all happen again .......

(28) Bobbie Morgenstern, December 29, 2009

Anyone who has ever approached the site of this sign, will never forget, nor take lightly all the horror that it stood for. It took our group three days to attempt to speak after passing under it! That was twenty-five years ago.

(27) , December 29, 2009

Once again, the Rabbi is right on target

To take this outrageous event and gain some introspection and positive thoughts from it is truly remarkable. Rabbi Salomon is an inspiration to me to be more peaceful, careful, and aware of what I have.

(26) thomas eby, December 29, 2009

Yes.

Rabbi Salomon, when I first heard of the theft of this sign I wondered as well as to why. I had mixed emotions as to whether it was important or not. As a born and baptised Christian I have an outlook more akin to Judaism than Christianity for a lot of reasons. I am a man 73 years of age and still remember as a child in the war years why such things could happen to anyone. Even at the tender age of 7,8 or 9 I wondered why? This sign "Work shall make you free" I see as a bitter raminder of how evil can work in the hearts of man. I see it as a symbol related to freedom itself because, through all the struggles and travails, the Jewish people have survived and will continue to survive. Because of things that Christianity has fostered over the centuries I no longer call myself a Christian. I no longer will accept any religion. It is a long road I have tread to come to this conslusion but I am through it and am a better person for it. I believe we are all brothers. Jew and Gentile are the same to me. We do evil or do good. I choose to do any good I can for all my brothers and sisters. I believe in only one God of us all and that is the God of man not of religions. God made man and man made his religion to deal with God. I prefer to go directly to my maker for all my hopes and needs. I have no problem with religion as long as it helps man to do good. It is just not for me. I write this so that you will know that I love all my fellow man whoever he may be. I also have a great sadness when man decides that he may be better than some others and does harm and cruelty to his fellow man as has been done to Jews and others.. My answer to the restoration of this sign and the memorial at Auschwitz is YES! Sincerely, Thomas Eby White Lake, Michigtan May God bless all his people.

(25) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

Educate the children to remember the Holocaust

I had this in mind when I published I REMEMBER SINGING for which the audience is Middle School to Adult. This easy to read true Holocaust story must be read by everyone with a human heart and soul. Many Middle School teachers as well as college professors around the world are using this book in their classrooms.

(24) Kristin, December 29, 2009

planned taking of Auschwitz sign by Irani interests to demoralize Jews

This sign is a very famous sign recognized by many around the world as being at the entrance to Auschwitz. Who benefits from such an act? Perhaps those who have an interest in mocking the horrific memory of the Holocaust or denying it ever happened. Maybe neonazis played a hand in the removal of this sign. Maybe we need to look at Iran or another Muslim state for the funding of such a treacherous act.

(23) Tzipporah, December 29, 2009

Remember how it started

There's always talk about whether or not we are teaching our kids about the Holocaust in school, about the atrocities human beings committed against other human beings. I wonder, are we teaching about what led up to the Holocaust? About the Nuremberg Laws, about the legacy of hatred against Jews that has permeated history? No one batted an eye when laws were passed in the "civilized" and "modern" Germany (that spawned the Reform movement of "enlightened" Jewry and such great philosophic minds) denying Jews basic human rights and any means to earn a livelihood. It was just par for the course on the Continent, where Jews were always considered more or less a nuisance, and the question of what to do about us always a nagging political drag. Now the sign that stood hovering over one of the death camps has been stolen, and a hunk of concrete evidence to human barbarism has vanished as if it never existed at all. All that remains are photographs, and memories, and of course, memories fade and photographs can be altered. The mechanics of wiping the Holocaust out of sight, and memory, and history, are all in the works. The idea that Jews need our own nation, that one country needs to exist on this planet where we are free to live as Jews, will lose all support. The hope that most of us simply assimilate out of existence will remain, and the hatred against us that thrived throughout Europe pre-Kristallnacht has already more than reared its ugly head again there, and in Canada, and here in the U.S. When we fail to learn from history, or choose to deny it ever happened, or forget it ever took place, it just repeats itself.

(22) ellie, December 29, 2009

the need to re-evaluate our understanding that the holocust was purely based in prejudice and the commonality of conditions that bring about scapegoating....conditions that are currewntly growing

Dear Rabbil Salomon, ] I have always found your discussions interesting and full of insight. I believe the sign is very important..and the stealing of the sign significant ..... in a small way. I believe that we need to do more than remember...we need to understand the complexity of conditions that converged to bring about the holocust..and if we do not finally begin to truthfully address the larger play of happenings in a deteriorating social structure , even a free democratic country like Germany where Jews lived and thrived.......in terms of historic events ...it can certainly happen again.....and worse...for Hitler's planned anniliation of the Jew ish race was more horrific than ever before in the history of the mankind because technological achievements of mankind that are put to distructive use were greater than ever before. And this aspect of man's development continues to grow in leaps and bounds.....but HUMAN NATURE and SOCIETAL STRUCTUREs that we develop REMAIN THE SAME. in a time when anti semitism is once again rapidly growing.........we have to re-evaluate the answers we are teaching..... Forinstance, that hatred is the primary cause of Jew bashing .. I am not saying that the world ever fully loves or accepts Jews....however, anti semitism only flares up under certain societal circumstances...and those conditions are carefully being reconstructed once again.....we focus on blaming yesterday's villians.....instead of addressing the problems we are currently facing and how they impact the conditions that erupt into hatred. and how we can work together to repair mankind and eliminatel the need for scapegoating.

(21) ARLENE TRAUB, December 29, 2009

RABBI SALAMON, YOUR SOFT EXPLANATION IS WORSE THAN NO EXPLANATION

I think the symbolism you suggested for the theft of the Auschwitz sign, that Jews should not forget .. actually detracts from the sinister motive - removing another piece of evidence that the Holocaust took place, another act of Holocaust denial - and a gruesome one at that. The sign is duplicitly designed to build a futile hope in millions of Jews who walked under it through those gates who were all doomed to die - that they should cling to the possibility that they will be set free through their hard labour! That is so disgusting, no wonder these boys wanted it removed off the face of the earth.

(20) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

a warning of things to come

i believe this is just another sign that with the muslim terrorist world exploding, we are no longer safe and anti-semitism is clearly on the rise everywhere, with the bad economy the haters can use the jews as blame just as hitler did.

(19) Sharon, December 29, 2009

Happening again

Unfortunately, I have to say, with or without the sign there, it is subtly happening again, but in a different way. Antisemitism and hatred for Israel, the U.S., Christians, and others is alive, but manifesting in a different way. Rather then bringing the people to the concentration camps, the people are being destroyed where they live. How about in Sderot, or Jerusalem, and other parts of Israel that have been blown up by rockets and suicide bombers? And those who are intent on destroying people are all over, including Europe and the U.S. Just listen to the news, and remember what was happening even ten and twelve years ago, in Israel. We don't just have to go back to Hitler's time; it is in our time and our governments can't seem to stop these people, just thwart some of their plans.

(18) peter kraynik, December 29, 2009

Tears

Right now I have tears for all who have perished in Auschwitz and the like. But G-D will turn all our tears of sorrow; to tears of joy ! When HE so wills it.

(17) roger, December 29, 2009

Mockery of the words

I think that the sign was partly stolen to hide and deny the way Germans used their own language to mock the suffering of those they persecuted. It casts a shadow over the german language itself, almost destroying its credibility as a vehicle of civilised culture. The sign in essence is a gesture of mockery that is beyond the pale....a mockery of humanity itself, but also a parody of the Lutheran and Calvinist 'ethos' it sprang from.

(16) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

I agree that we must never forget. We have to be strong and never allow our people to become weak.

I agree that we must never forget. We have to be strong and secure the future generations.

(15) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

It was too late when they marched through those gates.

We must remember the 1930's in Germany. We must recall the elections, the legislation, the disarming of the people, legitimization of hate, the school children being taught songs praising Hitler, the mis and dis information, the denials, the forced segregation, the theft of Jewish homes and belongings.... all before they marched through those gates. And we must stop it before we are marched thru gates with different names.

(14) David, December 29, 2009

A reminder of their shame

this sign is more than just a symbol of the faithfulness of the G-d who has preserved the Jewish people for 3,500 years, it is also a sign to those who wholheartedly served the evil one in their attempt to destroy the Holy People. G-d will not be mocked, let the symbol of their shame remain.

(13) gwendoline lamb, December 29, 2009

Comment on Auschwitz sign theft to Rav Yaakov Salomoln

I think that the theft of this sign is very significant and it MUST always remain there at the entrance and all children of every generation MUST be told what happened when they crossed that sign.....However, the rifraf who stole the sign and broke it in three pieces had no such regard...only to be paid by an agent....their greed overcame their fear of being caught...Boruch Hashem, they were caught and this theft must NEVER happen again as a symbol of the atrocity to 6 milliion Jews.......Gwendoline Lamb...North East UK

(12) Georg von Starkermann, December 29, 2009

The sign is meaningless.

Let's not put too much attention on this sign and instead let's discuss the antisemitism then and now. Today, the Jewish People are facing a new round of antisemitism from formally friendly countries like Norway and Sweden. The Jews themselves in Israel and the USA seem to hate themselves as well. Just read the over whelming left wing press to find this out. In Israel, the same holds true. No other country in the world ever traded land for peace with such disastrous results. Nor has any country ever maintained as many anti governmental terrorists as Israel currently maintains. When the world sees all of this nonsense going on in Israel, or reads Tom Friedman or Noam Chomsky in the USA, what can one think about the Jews in general? The sign right now is the least of the problems facing the world's Jews.

(11) Adolfo, December 29, 2009

holocaust deniers

Those who deny the camp horrors won't be convinced by whatever proves may be displayed, because their hate to jews is so deeply adherent that their feelings are stronger than their vision and understanding; they should repeat every single barbarity if they had the power to!! let's prevent them!!!

(10) jane, December 29, 2009

I agree that the sign should stay in place because it reminds us the horrors that we must not forget.

(9) SANDY, December 29, 2009

the sign should stay in place

Besides the hoodlums who over-turn headstones, these headstones should remain intact and thats how i view the "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign -- as a mass headstone for the millions who perished in the Holocaust, not just the Jews, but the political, homosexual and gypsies who also perished at the hands of hitler.

(8) stephen Luftschein, December 29, 2009

The taking of this sign, regardless of the titular reasons for it, represents the continued trivialization of the Holocaust, by both anti semites and Jews as well. For the deniers, or the antisemites, to trivialized what happened, to make regular comparisons of other world events to the Shoah, helps mask the endemic antisemitism that is once again in full blossom world wide. But we also do ourselves no favor by using terms like "Judenrein" to describe the Obama administrations obscene demand to stop Jewish building in the West Bank. Using Holocaust imagery when it is not appropriate simply continues to create a literal and emotional distance from events that must be kept close.

(7) Anonymous, December 29, 2009

I agree the sign should stay in place

I´m relieved that the sign, although senselessly cut up, has been recovered. The theives were nothing but numbskulls, hoping to make a buck. Their crime would be like stealing the Liberty Bell, smashing it to pieces, and trying to sell the pieces! The soon to be restored sign needs to stay there. The Nazis wanted to destroy their enemies, especially the Jews. The best revenge is for them to say, "Hurrah, we´re still alive!" And not only that, so many survivors went on to start families and live well, exactly the opposite of what their tormentors wanted! If relics like that are removed, future generations may say, "I don´t really believe that all that stuff went on here!" If people forget about it, it can happen again.

(6) Blake, December 29, 2009

It takes more than a sign...

Of course it is vital that we never forget the horrors that took place behind the sign. But those who deny these horrors will not be convinced by a sign, nor by the pictures, films, documents, books, and first hand reports that seem so obviously to prove what really took place.

(5) Jason, December 29, 2009

Re: signs

You say that we need to "internalize what we need to do to perpetuate the Jews and our religion despite the persecutions." But this must only be done using our persecutions as a guide. You say that "the sign doesn’t show who the Jewish people are," yet it helps us remember that which we must not forget. The Torah tells us to never forget what Amalek did to us. When something happens to the Jewish people it must never be forgotten. We are taught that there is nothing in this world that has not already occurred. Do we dare not see the future and act accordingly, now that we know it?

(4) Phil, December 28, 2009

the upside down B

I heard that the upside down B in "Arbeit" was a tiny act of defiance by some Jews who were forced to build that sign. The symbolism is a bit too obvious to be explained.

(3) Rosen, December 27, 2009

work camp sign

I usually thought of the German Nazis as very calculating, where they kept track of all the Jews, among others, that were massacred, but is it more difficult to tell what has been stashed away for decades such as this work camp sign/relic. Since this work camp sign has been discovered, will any/all Holocaust museums make a bid for it as one new exhibit? I think it is very important to acknowledge the past. Otherwise, we're doomed to repeat it. We must know where we've been and where we're likely going in the future. Unfortunately, not everyone understands the intensity of the holocaust, especially the holocaust deniers and other Jew-haters who are still contending that Jews are somehow less of (or too superior from) being human. Thus, children, teenagers, and college students must be intensively educated about tolerance and a world of difference among humans at ALL grade levels so that it is diligently taught.

(2) Anonymous, December 27, 2009

Symbols matter

We use symbols every day; wedding rings, etc. We can do all the things you said as well, but if there is a chance of one person learning something from a "symbol", we need to keep it. The sign is indeed a symbol that we are still here, and it's important. At least, that's what my uncle, the Terezin survivor, says.

(1) Anonymous, December 27, 2009

signs

Perhaps the theft should make us focus on the spiritual aspects of the jewish people as apposed to the physical. The sign certainly is a symbol of extreme persecution, but the sign does't show who the jewish poeple are and that we are still around. We seem to manage without signs when recalling the many other persecutions. Rather we need to look inwards and internalise what we need to do to perpetuate the jews and our religion despite the persecutions. Lets rebuild as a result of our past . Once we do that we will see we don't need the sign anymore because it has served its purpose.