Today is filled with extreme amounts of symbolism and a coincidence that seems too ironic to just be a coincidence… I think God is sending me a message.

November 16, 2013 was my Bat Mitzvah. On that day, I chanted from the Torah, leading my friends and family in prayer. On that day, I was initiated into adulthood. On that day, I assumed new responsibilities: performing mitzvot and acts of tzedakah (charity), making ethical decisions, attending religious services (at least every once in awhile), and one that I have recently seen more value in, practicing traditions and teaching others about Judaism.

For me, Judaism is more than practicing religion, it’s more about values and morals than anything else. I’m connected to my Jewish identity not because of my ability to recite endless prayers (I only know a few by heart), but because I truly value kindness. Charity (tzedakah) is one of the most defining characteristics of who I am, and I will always prioritize that. Helping others makes my heart happy.

So back to the coincidence that seems like one of those “life has a predetermined plan for me” moments. Not only was today 6 years since my Bat Mitzvah, but it was the day that my program decided to take us to a concentration camp. Learning about the horrors of the Holocaust in my classes is enough to provoke an emotional response, but today I would physically be transported to the place where people were worked to their death. There has to be a reason that these things are happening on the same day, but what is it?

Sachsenhausen is the name of a camp located about an hour outside of the city of Berlin. My group took a bus there and was given a tour of the camp. It was freezing outside, the sky was gray, and puddles of water littered the gravel pathways. My nose was numb and my toes felt frozen. But my level of discomfort both physically and mentally only seemed appropriate when putting everything in context. I was standing where someone took their last breath. I was standing where bodies were beaten. I was standing where souls were lost. I was standing where dreams were destroyed. It was overwhelming, disturbing, and incredibly depressing.

But as I walked through the administrative building, the barracks, the kitchen, the gas chamber, and the crematory, I still wasn’t able to understand why God chose this day. But then as we stood next to the ovens that turned flesh to ashes, our tour guide said something that was incredibly insightful. She left us with a quote from Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the Holocaust who wrote numerous books.

“Whoever listens to a witness becomes a witness.” - Elie Wiesel

She proceeded to say, “By being here today, you are all essentially witnesses. Interpret that however you want.” She explained the importance of educating people about the Holocaust and telling the stories of the survivors who will one day in the near future be gone.

This is why. As a part of my responsibilities as a Jewish adult, I have an obligation to make sure people never forget the injustices that occurred during the Holocaust. I have to learn and then share my knowledge. God sent me to the camp on this day so that I could deepen my appreciation for my Jewish identity and recognize that I am fortunate to freely be able to practice religion. I am not being suppressed or imprisoned because I’m Jewish; I’m free.

I will leave you with another noteworthy quote our tour guide shared with us today:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”

-Martin Niemöller