Help out where you can
Perhaps as we reflect on the messages of the High Holidays, we should bear in mind the devastating impact of indifference and apathy so manifest during the Holocaust.
In a society which is struggling with poverty and inequality and where many live without dignity or care surely we cannot turn away? For those of us who are in a position to help, we need to see the suffering of the individual and step out of our comfort zone to reach out with the hand of humanity. In so doing we would be changing the world for the better in a small way. The programmes at the Cape Town Holocaust Centre are designed to prompt the participants to examine their own sense of agency; recognising their ability to address injustice in their own community.
The Cape Town Holocaust Centre is fortunate to have the assistance of a dedicated band of volunteers from the Jewish community and beyond who help to make the work of the centre possible. Perhaps this is something that would appeal to you? In so doing you would be making a difference.
Richard Freedman is the Director of the South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation and the Cape Town Holocaust Centre.
