Two schools in Brussels announced their refusal to participate in the Stolpersteine (Stumbling Stones) ceremony commemorating Belgian Jews murdered in the Holocaust, saying that "the schools do not want to impose a discussion about the Holocaust on children given the current situation in the Middle East."
The Stolpersteine project is a unique memorial initiative honoring Nazi Holocaust victims. It consists of small concrete plaques covered in brass, embedded in sidewalks near the homes or last known residences of Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and other victims of the Nazi regime before they were deported to concentration camps.
Each stone bears the victim’s name, year of birth, date, place of deportation and sometimes the location and date of death.
Reports also indicated that one of the schools recently removed an Israeli flag, part of a "Flags of the World" exhibition, following a parent's complaint about its presence on school grounds.
European Jewish Association Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin expressed shock and outrage at the decision, stressing that such ignorance about historical events underscores why these schools must take part in the ceremony.
"At a time of unprecedented antisemitism, we must pass on the historical warning of the greatest crime against humanity to the next generation. The Holocaust transcends politics,” he said.
“Attempting to draw a connection between the mass murder of 6 million Jews and the current war in Gaza is appalling and represents a profound moral failure on the part of two schools with a moral, civic and human duty to educate the next generation about the reality of the Holocaust."
"I believe the decision stems from a desire to avoid offending the parents of a certain group of students from a specific religious background,” he added.
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“But this is capitulation to the most abhorrent lie — one seeks to equate the Holocaust with the war in Gaza. Belgium’s education minister must intervene. We can’t erase the truth to appease a minority that may hold a different view."