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Holocaust Memorial Day

4/29/2014

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Picture
As the years go by I am having more and more difficulty lighting a candle for Holocaust Day. It's getting harder and harder to read a story that someone sends me over the Internet, listen to the ceremonies in Jerusalem and stand for a moment of silence (120 seconds) when the siren goes off at 10:00a.m. on Holocaust Memorial Day.

I guess that it's because, as the years go by, I am more aware than ever of how utterly massive and unstoppable the destruction and murder really was. I can almost feel the desperation of the people who were caught up in the those years. Hearing about every new atrocity -- I won't detail them here, but believe me, there are always new ones to surprise -- causes me sleepless nights.

I know that there's not a whole lot that the country can really do, other than ensure that the ceremonies and memorials continue. And there's really not a whole lot more that I can do either. Yet it seems terribly trivial.

Last year a website made its way around. 20 Photos that Change the Holocaust Narrative. It's a collection of photos of defiance during the Holocaust and deliverance after liberation. It makes you feel good to look at them, and it bothered me. Because when you're remembering the Holocaust, you shouldn't feel good. You should try, just for a few minutes, to understand the fear, the hunger, the dispair, the pain, the helplessness....that the victims felt.

Sure the people were thrilled on liberation day. But what did they go through to get to that day? We're so used to focusing on "feel-good" that we forget that sometimes, it's not appropriate to feel good.

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The Welcome Blog

4/27/2014

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PictureSafed's Abuhav Synagogue
In 2004 I started a blog at Safed.blogspot. I loved the new (at that time) idea of doing a bit of creative writing while sharing my thoughts, impressions and experiences of living in Tzfat. 

I used to tell people that the blog was a cheaper form of therapy than going to a therapist, in those old days, I also used it to vent a little about things that were going on in my personal life.

Last year, when I left my job as coordinator of the Safed Tourist Information Center, I reorganized this website about Safed. I had created Safed-Home to facilitate tourism (and help me keep all my lists of accommodations, places to eat, things to do in the city, information about historical sites, etc) as a public service. I relaunched it and am pleased at how many people it's been able to help. I get a few letters each week from people who have questions about an upcoming visit or, more frequently, how to trace their ancestors who once lived in the town. Local business owners tell me that they get many referrals from this site which pleases me. 

Since the relaunch in the winter of 2013 I have been maintaining the site. Frankly I enjoy the "hobby." It's a public service -- I keep a running list of recommended plumbers and other people who fix things, run a list of local accommodations for tourists and try to keep other information current for the benefit of locals and visitors.

A neighbor suggested that I link my blog to the site. Since I can't import my old blog to this site (I did Google it to see if it was possible) decided to migrate my old blog over to Safed-Home. It just seems as though its time to connect the dots as I share information about my little town (which, by the way, CNN listed as one of the ten most beautiful cities in the world) in one central cyberspace location. 

Happy to meet you. 

1 Comment

    Laurie

    Laurie has lived in Safed for almost 30 years. She's the mother of five kids, all of whom were born and raised in Safed.

    Laurie began to blog at Safed.blogspot in 2004. She has been writing about daily life in Safed, as well as her own involvement with the local community, Safed institutions and individuals and her goal of improving the city one step at a time.

    The blog has now migrated to this site.

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