Kai Höss, grandson of Rudolf Höss, Auschwitz-Birkenau's commandant, vocally opposes anti-Semitism and anti-Israel protests, actively working to foster understanding in light of his grandfather’s past actions. Currently a pastor in Stuttgart, Höss uses his sermons to preach love and reduce anti-Semitism. He openly discusses his family history, acknowledging his grandfather's role in the death of hundreds of thousands of Jews. He was in sixth grade when he first discovered his grandfather's history. Now, Höss visits schools, sharing his personal history to encourage students towards tolerance and actions against anti-Semitism. He reflects, "I started thinking, 'How can I give something back? What can I do?' I know I can’t change history, but I thought I could do something. I can simply love them," describing how his anti-anti-Semitism efforts began. Addressing U.S. campus protests against Israel after the Gaza war began, Höss notes, "Campus support for violence stems from emotional reactions, often lacking full understanding of the historical and political complexities. I hear chants 'from the river to the sea,' but if asked which river or sea, many have no clue. They want to be part of something. They feel good about it. They understand the basic message, the narrative." "They never truly examine or investigate both sides, so they don’t have complete information. They aren’t genuinely interested; it’s just an emotional response again. We are driven by ideas, ideologies, thoughts, emotions. We immediately act, turning thoughts into actions. One is hate, leading to bloodshed. That’s exactly what we see on campuses—people ready to go out and do awful things." Related articles: Jewish visitors to Auschwitz can now buy kosher food Israeli flags confiscated from Jewish group touring Auschwitz International Auschwitz Committee pres. Marian Turski dies at 98 Trump’s Special Envoy meets Israeli hostage families at Auschwitz "They fail to see that the Jewish person is just a regular human like themselves. Made of flesh and blood, right? A student, just a normal person. Here I am hating someone because of something a government did somewhere far away," Höss explains. He shared that on the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation, January 27th this year, he plans to speak at a synagogue in Freiburg. "It's an amazing opportunity to speak and be part of something like this," Höss told Fox News .
