Vhi Sh'amda: Egypt and Eastern Europe
A poem for Yom HaShoah 2010 by Matt Rutta
Delivered at American Jewish University, April 12, 2010
Last week we celebrated our escape from Egypt
Today we mourn our inability to get out of Eastern Europe in time
In Egypt Pharaoh killed our newborn baby boys and let our girls live
In Eastern Europe the Nazis and their collaborators shot and gassed men, women, and children with no mercy
From Egypt marched 600,000 men of the Army of God
In Eastern Europe Six Million were left behind
We marched triumphantly with our heads held high from Egypt
We were lead from the concentration camps on Death Marches
In Egypt we built the Treasure Cities of Pitom and Raamses to hold the spoil of Pharaoh's wars
In Eastern Europe we built the gas chambers and crematoria of Buchenwald and Treblinka where we would meet our own demise
In Egypt Pharaoh set Egyptian taskmasters over us
In Auschwitz the Sonderkommando were Jews forced to turn against their own people for the chance to survive a little bit longer
When we disobeyed in Egypt, we were forced to glean our own straw to make our tally of bricks
When we disobeyed in Sobibor the SS would shoot every third Jew
In Egypt we were like an appliance
In Eastern Europe we
In Egypt we were forced to build the pyramids, the glorious tombs of the Pharaohs in Giza
In Eastern Europe we were forced to dig our own mass graves in Babi Yar
Of Egypt we joyously proclaimed "In every generation people rise up to utterly destroy us but but the Holy One Blessed be He saves us from their hand?
Where was the Holy one in Eastern Europe?
When we were liberated from Egypt we left so quickly that our matzah had no time to rise
When we were liberated from the Concentration Camp we were so malnourished that even eating the Bread of Affliction would overwhelm our distended bellies, killing us.
In Egypt we went from sorrow to great joy
In Eastern Europe we went from sorrow to more sorrow.
In Egypt we joyously sang "Who is like you God among the mighty?" as we marched across the split sea.
In Eastern Europe we joyously sang "I believe in perfect faith that the Messiah will come" as we marched into the gas chambers.
In Egypt the slaves' greatest worry was when they would be fed
In Eastern Europe it was not "when" but "if"
They missed the fleshpots of Egypt, with the leeks, the onions, and garlic that they ate free in Egypt
In the Concentration Camp it was a small bowl of rotten onion floating in polluted water
In 210 years we increased from 70 to 600,000 men
In 6 years we were reduced from 14 million to 8 million humans
Our experiences in Egypt three millennia ago are believed by many religions and most of the world's population
Our experiences 65 years ago continue to be denied by those who seek to destroy us again, devour Jacob, and finish the job
In Egypt we cried out to God and He heard our cry and saved us with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm
In Eastern Europe we cried out to You! Where were You?!
You who guided us through the desert and protected us with a pillar of fire
Our flame was almost extinguished
You are our Shepherd and we are Your sheep,
And we were sheep to the slaughter
Had they only stripped us of our citizenship and expelled us from their land,
Dayenu, it would have been enough
Had they only destroyed our stores forbidding us to sell to gentiles
Dayenu, it would have been enough
Had they only stolen our property to take as their spoils
Dayenu, it would have been enough
Had they only burnt our Torah scrolls
Dayenu, it would have been enough
Had they only forbidden the observance of Shabbat by punishment of death
Dayenu, it would have been enough
Dayenu! Mir Hoybn Shoyn genug! We've had enough!
Protector of Israel, protect the remnant of Israel, don't let Israel be destroyed, we who proclaim "Hear O Israel!"
You have heard our outcry too late, but You have returned us to the land you Promised us, the Holy Land flowing with milk and honey,
Now fulfill your promise, save us from the hand of those who every generation wish to destroy us and let us fulfill our battle cry of "Never Again!"
Redeem us and save us and let us dwell in peace!
Oseh Shalom Bimromav, Hu Yaaseh Shalom Aleinu V'Al Kol Yisrael, V'imeru… AMEN!
