For the first time, there was an official commemoration for the victims of the Holocaust in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer. Last year, the city council adopted a motion to organize a commemoration, with the aim of making young people in particular more aware of the genocide. But now it is precisely the young people who are missing the opportunity.
An official Holocaust commemoration took place in Nieuw-Vennep for the first time – NH News
Ultimately, it was also a bit of unfortunate timing, says councilor and organizer Marten Boels (VVD): “We talked to high school students in October about attending this commemoration, and exactly in that month the conflict in the Gaza Strip broke out. very alive.”
Ultimately, the students therefore decided not to attend the ceremony, at the resistance monument in Nieuw-Vennep. It’s a shame, says Boels, but he expects to have the students at the commemoration next year: “The time was simply too short to first sort out the entire conflict and to enter into a constructive discussion with each other. But for next Hopefully we will have that time next year.”
Another initiator behind the motion, Jordy Schaap (Forza!), calls it ‘disappointing’ that the students failed to attend: “I hope more young people will attend next year.”
The absence of the Haarlemmermeer youth did not make for a less impressive commemoration. From a hill overlooking the park, Rabbi Shmuel Spiero led the prayer, after which those present placed white memorial stones on the names of fallen members of the local resistance chiseled into the ground.
These are busy days for Spiero. Commemorations take place throughout the country around International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. Immediately after the ceremony in Nieuw-Vennep he has to move on to the next one.
According to him, it is more important than ever that these types of commemorations continue to take place: “While the last direct witnesses of the war leave us, we must continue to learn lessons from that past. This especially applies to our children. The message of the war remains still penetrates us eighty years later.”
Increasing hatred of Jews
In a time of increasing anti-Semitism, especially in recent months, Spiero also sees hopeful signs: “I have the feeling that the war is almost closer now than in my own youth. Very hard work is now being done to identify the names and people behind the to bring history into the light. That also helps to keep the memory alive.”
Combating hatred of Jews was another goal of councilor Boels when he teamed up with Forza last year! submitted the motion for the commemoration: “Research had shown that not only knowledge of the Holocaust, but also what is done with that knowledge, had decreased. This made the city council decide to agree to our proposal.”
“We remain vigilant, we will not allow ourselves to be pushed away”
The municipality of Haarlemmermeer has so far been spared major incidents against the Jewish community, but Boels has already heard of signs: “We hear that there are Jewish Haarlemmermeer residents who feel less safe at certain times, in certain places. A number of people also did not attend today because they were concerned for their safety.”
Unfortunately, this is not a new phenomenon for them, but that is why they continue to make a stand, says Rabbi Spiero: “We remain vigilant, we will not allow ourselves to be pushed away. But above all we must let the light shine. And that is possible with these kinds of occasions, where we can spread the message that there is no place for war in this world.”
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