Between Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom Ha’Atzmaut, the Jewish calendar marks ten days of remembrance, mourning, and national pride. Amid these commemorations, a message from Bangladesh, shared by a local doctor volunteering abroad, offered a striking perspective.
Dr. Greg Jacob, a participant in Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ’s Peoplehood Project, sent this reflection today to fellow members of the NJ/Israel group. He has just returned from a week of volunteer surgery work in Bangladesh, and shared this message from his journey:
“I’m on a bus ride back to our hotel following a long week of difficult surgery here. After spending a week operating here in Bangladesh, it has felt strange to reflect on the Shoah in a land that doesn’t recognize Israel’s existence.
I considered not joining this mission with the Bangladeshi government recently agreeing with and supporting anti-Israel protests and reinstating a stamp on Bangladeshi passports forbidding them from visiting Israel. But I recognize when I’m here that under the skin, we are all the same.
I have a unique opportunity with my profession to get to physically look under the surface of the skin.
But this week has been extra special for me as we remember and reflect on the Shoah. I’ve been a proud Jew while here. I’ve spoken with local surgeons and realized that if I can open one person’s eyes and mind to see Jews as good, and ethical, and moral, then perhaps I can play a tiny role as an ambassador for the Jewish people.
And maybe ‘never again’ can actually become a reality.
Wishing everyone a meaningful Yom HaShoah, a safe journey, and I truly will appreciate being back together very soon!”