The rendering of religious, cultural and historical heritage into public property, the development of a Jewish collection and exhibition hall

Commemoration of 2012

  10. June 2012.

      

     

                

Photographed by BGYZSHK, Mrs. Katalin Sümegi

 

 

" The rule of hatred without reason "

– article of Henrik Hegedűs in the Nógrád County Newspaper-  Nógrád Megyei Hírlap:

Balassagyarmat | Sixty-eight years ago in these hot days of June a sad march was started from the nearby Nyírjes to the railway station of Balassagyarmat all over the Martyrs' street.  Six thousand jewish people, men, women and children were forced into the crowded cattle cars to transport them to the death camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where most of them was  murdered on the day of their arrival. This tragic event was commemorated on Sunday in the Jewish Cemetery of the town.

József Bauer, Chairman of the Jewish Community of Balassagyarmat greeted the commemorators and after a short historical foreword he told that unfortunately antisemitism is rising again in Hungary. He referred to the citing of the blood libel of Tiszaeszlár in the Parliament not so long ago, defamation of the Jews, or the unworthy attack against Chief Rabbi Emeritus József Schweitzer. According to the revival of the Horthy cult, Mr. Bauer professed that the former Governor is responsible for what happened against the Jews during the thirties and fourties. He highlighted that incitement should not been tolerated, action should be taken against hate speech, and forever remember  and remind the present generation what happened to the Jewish people in 1944. Finally he was talking about the activities of the István Kertész Foundation which faithfully cares the memory of the ancestors and guards and protects the values of the historic monument cemetery.  He thanked to those who helped actively the Jewish Community to its work. After the beautiful song of Cantor Immanuel Zucker Rabbi Gábor Fináli took the floor. He started his speech like this: a wise rabbi once told that the world stands upon three things. On justice, on truth, and on peace. Sixty-eight years ago in Balassagyarmat such as in anywhere else  this principle was no longer and betrayal, disinheritence, fratricide  had been done.  The grief of what happened to the Jewish people is not fresh sixty-eight years after but still inconceivable and immeasurable.  The Rabbi told that the expression "Holocaust" is not precise to this tragedy which means "sacrifice that is completely consumed by fire". Not even the Hebrew word "Shoah" which means "catastrophe" is suitable, but a longer Hebrew expression: „the rule of the hatred without reason"  ie. to hate without reason all the things what are Jewish.  Regarding to Rabbi Gábor Fináli during the Nazi era jealousy, bad instinct and misantropy drove out humanity from the world and its still inexplicable that instead of saving the nation thay deported hundreds of thousands to concentration camps and sent to death. However, we live in a different time today and the world is not the same as it was then but we have to remember and  aware the new generations growing up that such a bestial time should not been allowed again to come.
In the end of the commemoration after a common prayer  the participants visited the graves of their ancestors in the cemetery

(Yechiel)


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