Today we remember all those lost in the Shoah, the Holocaust. On this day, it is a tradition to read the names of those that perished. We are honored that the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education has asked us to participate in the local Reading of Names taking place in Pioneer Square, downtown Portland.
This month, in honor of Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month, we co-hosted a series of events focused on resisting cultural erasure. We know that this ritual of reading names is incredibly important because it is an act of defiance, and serves as evidence that the the Nazi attempt to erase Jewish people and culture did not succeed.
"Never Again" can feel hollow as we acknowledge that despite our efforts, atrocities continue to occur in our time. But we choose to see it as a daily reminder to commit ourselves to the ongoing struggle to deny the orchestrators of genocide the satisfaction of succeeding. Honoring the victims of past genocides is one such way to do this.
Our director, Lauren Fortgang, wrote a poem to root us in this moment, on this day, but also as a reminder to carry this work forward in our daily lives.
I say your name.
I say your name because I refuse to forget.
and when I say your name, it isn't just words. You come to life.
your experiences
your greatest joys
your favorite moments
the time in between one moment and the next
the conversations
the arguments
the laughter
the secrets
the sorrow
the heartache
the celebrations
the triumphs.
You existed.
No one can erase that.
No one can ever take away you being you.
I say your name because in doing so, we all exist.
I refuse to turn away from the pain
the anguish
the loss
the fear
the heartache
the hunger
the sadness.
If I refuse to turn away from these things, there can be no loneliness.
Because I will not let you walk this path alone.
I say your name because
you are you
and I am me
we will always exist if I just say your name.
If you are in Portland, we encourage you to visit Pioneer Square today, April 28, 2022 for the Reading of the Names from 10am-5pm PT
Photo of Les (z"l) and Eva Aigner at the Oregon Holocaust Memorial, courtesy of Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education.