We’ve always heard that history is written by the winners — but in an age where there is not a single writer anymore, that can no longer be true. Today, we face a true information crisis. Over exposure of information conflates opinion as fact daily. Many cling to the notion of speaking my truth over speaking the truth.

A perfect example of this phenomenon is the misinformation surrounding the Holocaust, so much so that some deny it outright. How, in a world with SO MUCH information, can it even be possible to deny such a fact?

Misinformation Surrounding the Holocaust
The Holocaust happened.

We have survivors, testimony, photos, museums — every type of proof imaginable.

Why can we no longer trust in facts that are clear as day?

Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing Tablet Magazine’s Liel Leibovitz speak. He likened today’s American culture to a horror film, saying, “The call is coming from inside the house.” That struck me. America is facing a time of extreme cultural change, one that is only exacerbated by mass information sharing and rooted in “my truth = the truth” mindsets. It’s easy to think it’s too late to actively push against the wave of cultural appropriateness, because it feels like the threat is already closing in. To simply rest in the Pendulum Theory, that the pendulum will swing as it always does, and to trust that America will re-right itself without our direct action, is false.

As Jews, we have to do everything in our power to actively right this wrong. Not just “Never Forget,” but we must intentionally educate the world on the truth of the Holocaust. Textbooks have gotten lazy and school curriculums have forgotten which parts of history truly matter.

It’s not enough to have these conversations with our Jewish peers. IHRE needs us — that’s on us.

Active Participation in the Conversation
What can we do? In our daily lives, we must be vocal about our Jewish heritage and be proud. Speak to our friends of all religions clearly (and often) about the truth of the Holocaust and why remembering matters — because it is the ultimate cautionary tale.

Cancel culture feels too close where the world was 100 years ago, right before the Holocaust. It’s not a visible world war, but a cultural war and a war on information. And as history usually goes, Jews are targeted and antisemitism is on the rise.

In the past, I’ve personally shied away from these conversations, because of the debilitating sadness I feel talking about the Holocaust. Joining organizations like the IHRE’s Young Professionals Thought Leadership Panel inspires me to have the courage to tackle these hard topics head on.

I’m hoping to inspire others to step into the arena with IHRE, into a world of truth-telling, and stand up for the facts. The Holocaust happened, and we must learn about it to keep history from repeating itself. This is how we become the winners of history. In the case of the Holocaust, our truth and the truth are one. Our story will prevail.