32 min
S02 E03: Mark Schonwetter at the Museum of Jewish Heritage The Last Generation
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- Society & Culture
Mark Schonwetter was a young child in Brzostek, Poland, when Germany invaded, and his family was forced out of their home. After his father was taken by the Gestapo, Mark fled along with his mother and sister. They spent time in a nearby ghetto and then went into hiding in the Polish countryside, where they remained for three years. By the end of the war, Mark was one of only a few surviving Jews from Brzostek.
Hate is an issue that we face today as a society. When it seems like we are moving towards a better, more humane understanding world, we still encounter individuals who are racist, spread messages of hate, and are supported by followers who emulate and cheer them.
We have already witnessed the destructive consequences of these hateful words and leadership, yet it appears that some have not learned from history. Education is the best tool we have to fight hate and teach new generations to build a more just and inclusive society based on memory. Listening to and learning from the stories of those who came before us enables us to comprehend their experiences and avoid repeating historical mistakes.
This live episode is a special collaboration with The Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation.
Mark and his family join us to tell their story, educate, and set an example of resilience.
Anti-Semitism is not an isolated event on the other side of the world. Today, we see the consequences of hate more clearly. Jews, Muslims, Christians, and atheists, are all affected by hate in different areas around the globe. Anti-Semitism and hatred are not a problem for Jews, nor for Israel, nor for holocaust survivors only. This is everyone's problem.
These days, we are surprised by the amount of anti-Semitic comments we read on social media from people justifying the horror that is happening. Today, we see them, and we pay attention to them because the majority of people condemn war and hate, and we cannot understand how anyone can justify this. But the reality is that they are always among us.
Our contribution today is to deconstruct all those messages and confront people who speak from hatred and ignorance. Spread accurate information, listen to those affected, and understand that racism and anti-Semitism are everyone's problems. Hate begins with ideas and words, with a joke that you may think is innocent, and it turns into prejudice, insult, and explicit discrimination. And the path to the worst consequences we have seen throughout history and are seeing again today is not that long.
Mark Schonwetter was a young child in Brzostek, Poland, when Germany invaded, and his family was forced out of their home. After his father was taken by the Gestapo, Mark fled along with his mother and sister. They spent time in a nearby ghetto and then went into hiding in the Polish countryside, where they remained for three years. By the end of the war, Mark was one of only a few surviving Jews from Brzostek.
Hate is an issue that we face today as a society. When it seems like we are moving towards a better, more humane understanding world, we still encounter individuals who are racist, spread messages of hate, and are supported by followers who emulate and cheer them.
We have already witnessed the destructive consequences of these hateful words and leadership, yet it appears that some have not learned from history. Education is the best tool we have to fight hate and teach new generations to build a more just and inclusive society based on memory. Listening to and learning from the stories of those who came before us enables us to comprehend their experiences and avoid repeating historical mistakes.
This live episode is a special collaboration with The Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Mark Schonwetter Holocaust Education Foundation.
Mark and his family join us to tell their story, educate, and set an example of resilience.
Anti-Semitism is not an isolated event on the other side of the world. Today, we see the consequences of hate more clearly. Jews, Muslims, Christians, and atheists, are all affected by hate in different areas around the globe. Anti-Semitism and hatred are not a problem for Jews, nor for Israel, nor for holocaust survivors only. This is everyone's problem.
These days, we are surprised by the amount of anti-Semitic comments we read on social media from people justifying the horror that is happening. Today, we see them, and we pay attention to them because the majority of people condemn war and hate, and we cannot understand how anyone can justify this. But the reality is that they are always among us.
Our contribution today is to deconstruct all those messages and confront people who speak from hatred and ignorance. Spread accurate information, listen to those affected, and understand that racism and anti-Semitism are everyone's problems. Hate begins with ideas and words, with a joke that you may think is innocent, and it turns into prejudice, insult, and explicit discrimination. And the path to the worst consequences we have seen throughout history and are seeing again today is not that long.
32 min