Signs of Our Times…

 

 

Some time last week, thieves broke into the Auschwitz concentration camp and stole the famous “Arbeit Macht Frei” [“work frees”] sign between 3 and 5 in the morning. While waiting for investigators and police to locate the sign, the museum’s curator has put up another sign in its place.

 

 

This sparked the outcry heard ’round the world. The infamous sign at the entrance of Auschwitz had been stolen. People were outraged. Israeli PM claimed that “The sign is of the deepest historical importance to the Jewish people and the whole world, and is a tombstone for more than a million Jews”. The Polish PM quickly assured Israel that they were doing everything possible to find the sign as quickly as possible.

Personally, I think that the sign has become an end rather the means it is. True, it is a known symbol of the holocaust, but that’s all it is- a symbol. Instead of running around like chickens with their heads cut off, trying to locate the elusive sign, maybe people should take this incident as a sign (pun intended) to reevaluate the ideals that are being taught. This unfortunate incident can be used as a means to educate and reeducate pupils about the importance of lessons learned from the Holocaust.

Yes, the sign was stolen and found desecrated. Yes, the people responsible should be punished. But no, what the sign stood for, what it means to people hasn’t been lost or changed.