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Posterboards covered with information on the Holocaust, an outspoken rabbi and passionate students drew a crowd to Free Speech Plaza on Tuesday afternoon.
"The major theme that came out of the Holocaust was 'Never Again,'" said Hillel staff member Amanda Bowen. "But throughout history we see it's still happening."
Hillel, a Jewish student organization, memorialized the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust by holding a discussion and table-sit on campus Tuesday for Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day. The group drew parallels between the Holocaust and recent genocide actions in Darfur to demonstrate that tragedies like the Holocaust still happen.
Bowen said the day is in remembrance of all those who died in the Holocaust, not only the Jews.
Bowen said events such as the Holocaust could repeat because of "global apathy."
"No one seems to know that already 400,000 out of a population of four million people have died so far in Darfur," she said.
Bowen said University students should take the "first step" in aiding genocide victims by doing something small, such as asking the Student Senate to pass a resolution and create a University stance on the issue.
Moshe Cohen, Hillel interim program coordinator and graduate student, said Hillel is taking a step by educating the student body.
"I'm just going to concentrate my efforts on letting the students know of the terrible humanitarian issues going on in Darfur," he said.
Barry Weinstein, rabbi for Temple B'nai Israel, said Hillel's message is important.
Weinstein taught the only Holocaust class offered at the University from 1991 until it was eliminated after Hurricane Katrina.
"That just speaks volumes about how we need to re-examine our values as a University campus and University town," he said.
Weinstein connected the Holocaust not only to the actions in Darfur but also to the aftermath of Katrina.
Weinstein said the hurricane season is a month away and levees are still "not sufficient to stop the storm surge."
Cohen spoke to the crowd outside the Union, asking students to pressure legislators to get the federal government to support humanitarian efforts, not send military aid to those in Darfur.
"If we don't let our government know we care about these issues, they aren't going to do anything about it," he said.
Contact Marissa DeCuir at mdecuir@lsureveille.com
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