In our school, the Modern History classes were presented with the opportunity to attend an excursion to the Jewish Museum this month, November 2023.
With all the chatters about the current events of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict acting as a backdrop behind us, the question “Are you going?” was constantly and apprehensively asked among students seeking to align themselves with their peers.
Eventually, a straggling group of 16 students showed up that morning and the consensus was that this excursion was unfortunately poorly timed. However, we were greeted with a short tour of the Museum upon our arrival and we eagerly crowded around our presenter as he referenced the displays in great depth.
We politely listened to an array of topics – an introduction to Judaism, its customs and traditions, the conditions inside ghettos and concentration camps during WWII as well as snippets from the stories of survivors – topics we had covered in our classrooms.
After listening to a seminar, we had the exceptionally valuable opportunity to listen to the experience of Vera Seder, a Holocaust survivor. Ms Seder’s story had peaceful beginnings in pre-1944 Budapest.
However, she soon lost both her parents and her pet dog after the German occupation of Hungary and was sent to live with her grandparents in a Jewish ghetto under the protection of the Swedish Red Cross.
Ms Seder’s final message she wished to leave behind with us was one of recognition. She urged us to look beyond an individual’s race, religion and origins and instead recognise them as a person, to focus on their humanity and the characteristics that compose their personality – saying “Truly there is only one race, and that is the human race.”
This message deeply resonated with us, especially due to the ongoing political climate and the lack of this narrative in mainstream media’s coverage of the situation in Palestine.
Our shared humanity provides hope in times of conflict as acknowledging the experiences of others fosters an environment that nurtures constructive conversations and, eventually, reconciliation.
The brutal and senseless treatment of Jews under the Nazi regime is an example of the destructive consequences that can arise due to a collective loss of humanity.
Israel’s excuse for its inhumane actions in Palestine parallels that of Nazi Germany’s attempt at excusing the extermination of Jews by claiming they are racially inferior – these are excuses made at the cost of humanity.
As a young Muslim girl in multicultural Australia, my experience with the Jewish Museum has unironically cemented my position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as it revealed the true importance of standing with humanity during times of conflict.
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