“It must never happen again—never again.”
—Erwin Leiser
On May 8, 1945, celebrations erupted throughout the world to mark VE Day—the end of World War II in Europe—as Germany submitted its second signed document confirming its unconditional surrender. Having claimed more than 20 million lives, including the lives of six million Jewish non-combatants, as well as creating more than 60 million refugees, Europe’s second world war remains the deadliest, most destructive conflict ever waged upon the earth.
For Jews, the legacy of the war endures. The lasting horror of a modern government with a flourishing and vibrant Jewish community turning upon its own Jewish civilians and those of neighboring countries, even as it waged a war of conquest, can never be forgotten. It inspired Jews worldwide to redouble their efforts to found a Jewish state, and it kindled a generations-long struggle against hyper-nationalism, bigotry, and xenophobia.
As war rages once again in Europe, and as hyper-nationalism, bigotry, and xenophobia return to the American, European, and even Israeli stage, it appears fair to wonder how long the legacy of the world’s deadliest war can truly endure.
—Rabbi Josh Knobel