Liberation of Auschwitz...70 years later

For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.

- Elie Wiesel

70 years ago this month, on January 27th,

the liberation of Auschwitz.

 I sketched this about 10 years ago...

It's more of a writing than a sketch,
during a time when I was still trying
to make sense of the nonsense.

One of my favorite books...
because it encompasses three of my favorite things:
books, photographs & jewish history.

So much was lost during the holocaust,
and yet, 
these 2400 photographs survived.

Breaks my heart to see the innocence
in these beautiful photographs.
Families, friends, children,
going about their daily lives,
much the same way we go about ours.

I'd like to think we've learned from these moments in history,
and that humans will never do this to humans again.

But I believe I'd be wrong.

There are injustices all over the world,
still today.

The one thing I do know with certainty,
is that I am changed
because of this moment in history...

I am more curious about the world,
about different cultures,
and how they got to where they are today.
I am more compassionate
towards people who are different than me.
I am more skeptical.
I TRY to be less judgmental,
although the Nazis make this really difficult.

There are so many reasons to hate,
still today...
but I try not to go there,
because hating hurts me more than anyone else.
I read a few books
about good Germans who risked their lives
to help the Jews during WW2.
It helped me not hate them all.