“Stolpersteine are the antidote to Antisemitism,” states Sandy Swartzberg. “Because they have sensitized Europe to the suffering of us Jews.”
The facts back Sandy up. More than 100,000 of the 120,000 Stolpersteine – found in 1,800 cities in 31 countries – commemorate the Jews persecuted and murdered by the Nazis.
“Hundreds of thousands of people have been behind the placement of these Stolpersteine. They have raised the funds, done the research on the lives of the victims, organized the placements. Many of these people are Jews – even more not,” points out Sandy, a Milwaukee-based attorney who is on the board of directors of Zikaron Holocaust Commemoration.
“Thus a huge group of people has been built up – people who have dedicated themselves to the commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust – people who are keenly aware of us Jews and our history,” Sandy states.
He adds: “And these 100,000+ Stolpersteine ensure that the victims of the Holocaust are commemorated each second of each day in the year – by the people passing them by and stopping to read their utterly moving inscriptions.”
“The result: there is virtually nowhere and no one in Europe who doesn’t know what we Jews have been through. And this awareness is standing us in good stead in Europe now,” Sandy concludes.
