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Spokane rabbi talks Holocaust with Fairchild Airmen

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Benjamin W. Stratton
  • 92nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. --  Airmen gathered at the Warrior Dining Facility for breakfast here May 1 in remembrance of the Holocaust and to hear from a local Jewish leader how Americans can ensure such genocide is never repeated.

"How can we stop a Holocaust from happening today?" Rabbi Yisroel Hahn asked breakfast attendees. "You are in a position today to prevent it from ever happening again."

Hahn leads the Jewish community center in Spokane, Wash., called the Chabad Center, that provides educational and outreach services to all Jews in the region. It was the first of its kind in Eastern Washington when it opened in 2007 offering a kosher co-op, counseling, Hebrew classes, courses on the Torah and Jewish faith, Shabbat gatherings and other social and religious services.

"When we see someone who looks very different from you, embrace them!" Hahn exclaimed. "Americans, greater than any other nation on Earth, carry a flag of tolerance and you as service men and women of this great nation express even greater tolerance. Your bravery and sacrifice prevent the mass murder of an entire nation from becoming reality again."

The rabbi said the foundation of civilization is simply to "love your fellow as yourself."

"We complete each other," he said. "We're all necessary. God placed each of you on this Earth for a reason; never forget that and never forget your neighbor who may need your help. Step in and be their friend."