Tzohar founder Rabbi David Stav on Tuesday spoke about the Holocaust, noting that the forces of death did not distinguish between different groups of Jews.
"The date was Erev Pesach 1943," Rabbi Stav began. "Two separate Jewish groups launched the Warsaw Ghetto revolt against the German forces. The first group was the National Jewish Organization, Ha'irgun Hayehudi Leumi. The second was called the Jewish Military Organization, Irgun Tzva Yehudi."
"Two separate groups fighting the Nazis. The groups didn’t work together or even speak with one another. Within four weeks, the Nazis had completely destroyed both groups and quelled the revolt.
"We are now 80 years later, just having completed Pesach 2023.
"A mother and two daughters were murdered at the Hamra Junction in the Jordan Valley. Rockets poured into the north from Lebanon and Syrian. Hamas continues to attack from the south.
"Yet, once again, two Jewish groups remain, not cooperating and all-too-often not even speaking one with the other."
He emphasized, "The conclusion of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising is a tragic note of history that we all know all too well. But how our current struggles will end, is entirely up to us."
"Over the past few months alone, we have seen the deaths of four sets of siblings. A brother and a sister in floodwaters. Two small brothers from the Palei family in Jerusalem in a ramming attack. And the Dee sisters and Yaniv brothers, mercilessly shot to their deaths.
"On Yom Hashoah today, and every day, we must be asking ourselves: How are we allowing our people to be ripped apart? Do we think for even a second that our enemies care if we are ideologically right or left? Whether we are secular or observant? Ashkenaz or Sephard? Do we think they care if we are rich or poor?!
"The answer is of course not! They didn’t care in 1943 and they don’t care now!" Rabbi Stav concluded with finality.