Leah, I applaud you for putting yourself in the public sphere about this issue. I recognize that this post is somewhat dated by Internet standards, but it still resonates and I thank you for writing it. I am fortunate that my family fought and died fighting the Nazi's in American uniforms and not on the other side. My daughter is the great-grandchild of Holocaust survivors. I knew her grandfather and grandmother and while neither were tattooed, both bore their scars daily.
Her grandfather shepherded a good number of his wife's family to safety across Europe and Asia. Before that he was a member of the Polish cavalry and when he was insulted by his officers for being Jewish he beat them. This earned him a trip to prison before the war, but while there he had tattooed on his left forearm a Mogen David. He wore that throughout WW2 until his death in the early 2000's.
I'm Jewish and not Tatted up at all, but thought if I ever did get one it might be that. As a statement to the world that we are here, we are not afraid, and "Never Again" will we be victims.
So to your last point about the statement "Never Again," I don't see it as blanket refusal of genocide. I see it as a refusal of genocide and/or abuse of Jews. Even now at 39, I consider getting a Star of David on my forearm - what I don't ever consider is laying down for hate or violence, subtle or overt, conscious or unconscious against Jews. I often stand for others as well (see Rabbi Hillel's famous quote on the subject), but always never again against mine and a remembrance tattoo is one way of making that statement.
Leah, I applaud you for putting yourself in the public sphere about this issue. I recognize that this post is somewhat dated by Internet standards, but it still resonates and I thank you for writing it. I am fortunate that my family fought and died fighting the Nazi's in American uniforms and not on the other side. My daughter is the great-grandchild of Holocaust survivors. I knew her grandfather and grandmother and while neither were tattooed, both bore their scars daily.
Her grandfather shepherded a good number of his wife's family to safety across Europe and Asia. Before that he was a member of the Polish cavalry and when he was insulted by his officers for being Jewish he beat them. This earned him a trip to prison before the war, but while there he had tattooed on his left forearm a Mogen David. He wore that throughout WW2 until his death in the early 2000's.
I'm Jewish and not Tatted up at all, but thought if I ever did get one it might be that. As a statement to the world that we are here, we are not afraid, and "Never Again" will we be victims.
So to your last point about the statement "Never Again," I don't see it as blanket refusal of genocide. I see it as a refusal of genocide and/or abuse of Jews. Even now at 39, I consider getting a Star of David on my forearm - what I don't ever consider is laying down for hate or violence, subtle or overt, conscious or unconscious against Jews. I often stand for others as well (see Rabbi Hillel's famous quote on the subject), but always never again against mine and a remembrance tattoo is one way of making that statement.