Mr. Rolf Gompertz, born on December 29, 1927 in Krefeld, Germany. He had a difficult childhood due to being Jewish and it was impossible for his family to live a normal life. Hitler had launched a campaign to demonize Jews and his slogan was “Jews are the cause of our misfortune.” The Nazis burned books written by Jews and in this regard, the books of Rolf’s family were also burned. This law included any book written by a Jew, any book written about Judaism, and any book that was incompatible with Nazi ideology. Gradually, Rolf was no longer able to socialize and play with his non-Jewish friends. Then on November 9, 1938, known as “Kristallnacht” or “Night of Broken Glass,” organized attacks against Jews began throughout Germany and Austria. Nazi soldiers also came to Rolf’s family home. But his father told them that he had served in the German army

You are a survivor of the Holocaust and know people who lost their lives in the Holocaust. How did you feel when you heard that Ahmadinejad denied the Holocaust?

I got angry. Ahmadinejad’s denial was a heartless, ugly and unacceptable act. I felt like history was repeating itself. Mr. Ahmadinejad had no knowledge or understanding of history. One day, he decided to gain the approval of radical groups by denying the Holocaust, in order to increase his popularity among Arab countries. The Jewish community, especially those who had experienced World War II, were deeply shocked. We did not expect such behavior from the president of Iran, whose responsibility is to improve relations with other countries and promote peace. He is a representative of a country. Iran is a great and diverse country with peace-loving people. How could he represent these people? Instead of showing sympathy for the victims, he chose to use this issue as a political strategy. Denying the Holocaust only added to the pain of the victims and those who value humanity.

Mr. Gomperz, the Holocaust is not the first genocide in history, but it receives special attention. Can you tell why?

Other regimes in the world have also committed such criminal acts. But what sets this genocide apart from others is not because of the Jewish people, but because it was carried out by a highly civilized country that prided itself on its culture, and it was done systematically and using the most advanced and modern methods and technology. What is even more important is that this genocide was one-sided and based solely on ethnicity and religion. The Jews in Germany were not enemies on the battlefield and did not take up arms against German soldiers. Therefore, the efforts of the Nazis to annihilate them are understandable.

Why do you think it is important for people around the world, including Iran, to know the truth about the Holocaust?

I hope they know; of course, years of propaganda and lack of access to independent books and media have hindered this. However, social ignorance can lead to history repeating itself. If awareness is high, such tragic events will not have a place in society. Not just for Jews, but also for other ethnic and religious minorities. It is also important for people to not only know that the Holocaust happened, but also how it happened. The tyrannical and insane leaders who seduced the German people with false promises, betrayed them through lies and because the people were in individual and collective despair, they wanted to believe those promises and lies.

The Iranian regime is making organized efforts to promote hatred against the Jewish minority in this country (Iran). It controls the subjects taught in their children’s textbooks, prevents them from having high-level government jobs and sometimes even entering university, and some extremist groups, who receive open support from the Iranian regime, have threatened to destroy their sacred places. These actions have led to many migrations. They are acts of non-violence, but can they be ended and can the spread of awareness be successful in preventing hatred, or do you think the expansion of hatred has been successful in preventing a tragedy like the Holocaust – not on the same scale and dimensions -? What are the consequences of the spread of hatred in society?

Even though you say these actions are not violent, I disagree. Attempting to destroy sacred places is violence. Preventing education, employment, and labor rights, restricting economic and intellectual freedoms, is violence. The famous German writer and poet, Heinrich Heine (1707-1856), saw all of this happening in Germany. He predicted it a hundred years before the Holocaust by the Nazis: “Those who begin by burning books, will end by burning people.” When the world can witness Holocaust denial, you can no longer say these crimes will not be repeated. The spread of hatred, even in its non-violent form, ultimately leads to violence, even if it is just words. There is a thin line between words and actions.

Iranian Jews are not able to speak about their mistreatment and violation of their rights. In such cases, what is the role of human rights organizations and how can they help?

If you are an activist or a human rights organization and you know that Iranian Jews are under pressure, then fulfill your human duty. Establish two-way communication with them and stand by their side to solve their problems. Raising awareness, spreading news, and taking peaceful actions will help them and improve the situation of minorities in Iran.

On November 9, 2008, the 70th anniversary of “Kristallnacht”, I wrote and said: “I wish this was an old story. Oh God, I wish it was like this.” But the genocide is still with us, everywhere in the world, threats and violations of human rights and individual freedoms are still with us, here and all over the world, and for the Jews too, who are still targeted; through despicable and shameless ways, to promote hatred, slander, and death.

We must speak and act freely, without fear and with boldness. This was a lesson learned through a difficult path by Martin Niemöller. He was a German commander, a hero of World War I, a supporter and follower of Hitler in the 1920s. Niemöller became a Protestant minister and later turned against Hitler. In 1933, Hitler came to power and the following year, Niemöller realized his support for Hitler was a mistake. He began preaching against Hitler and the Nazis. In 1937, Hitler’s patience ran out and Niemöller was arrested on charges of “misuse of position” and “crimes against the state” and sent to forced labor camps. Niemöller survived and after the war, whenever he spoke about it, he would say, “First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist. Then they came for the social democrats, and

Nimulor has given us the answer. We must speak and act freely, without fear and with boldness. In any way we can, whether it be little or much, we must protest against genocide. We must bravely speak out for human rights and individual freedoms, especially in defense of groups and individuals who are different from us. We must act for their sake and ultimately for the sake of our own souls.

Do you have a message for the people and activists of Iran?

My message to the people is to strive to overcome the hardships imposed on you by this regime and raise awareness about human rights and the rights of minorities in Iran. Read history to understand the importance of peace and become an example for other nations and countries in the Middle East. Your great history and glorious civilization have made you a unique and special nation. By advancing in the culture of tolerance and peace, you can overcome difficulties. I see a bright future for Iran and its extraordinary people.

And with this invocation from the Torah, I put an end to my pleas.

Praise be to you, O Lord, our God.

You, O Lord, who bind us to life.

م

We keep ourselves safe.

And you give us the ability to live throughout the span of time!

Shalom