Ringing hollow

THIS YEAR marks the 65th anniversary of the Eichmann trial, which mesmerized the Jewish world.

- GREER FAY CASHMAN

The trial was held in Jerusalem's Beit Ha'am because courtrooms then were not large enough to hold all those – especially survivors or victims' family members – who came to testify and bear witness against the Nazi war criminal.

The iconic opening address by Polish-born attorney-general Gideon Hausner, who was the chief prosecutor, is considered one of the 20th century's great speeches. “In rising to present the case against the accused, I am not alone. I am accompanied and surrounded by six million prosecutors, who unfortunately cannot stand and point their finger of accusation against the man in the dock, declaring, ‘I accuse.’”

In commemorating the Holocaust, the slogan “Never Again” rings hollow, as violent antisemitism continues to spread around the globe. Israelis also need to be reminded of this. On March 20, Beit Ha'am will once again echo with the tales of travesties heard at the Eichmann trial, at the opening night of Motti Lerner's play The Eichmann Trial, directed by Ilan Ronen, with Gil Frank as Gideon Hausner. The text is based on actual trial transcripts.

ANOTHER NOTED Jerusalem resident was globally acclaimed philosopher Martin Buber, who, prior to settling in the Talbiyeh neighborhood, delivered public lectures in Frankfurt, Germany, and was head of a facility training Jewish teachers. When the Nazi secret police forbade him from continuing his lectures, he left Germany in 1938 and made his home in what was then Mandatory Palestine.