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From: mf@cornell.UUCP (mf)
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Request for help (responses to ``Holocaust Hoax'' attacks)
Message-ID: <432@cornell.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Mar-85 07:21:56 EST
Article-I.D.: cornell.432
Posted: Fri Mar 22 07:21:56 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Mar-85 02:44:25 EST
Reply-To: (Uucp) cornell!mf (ARPA) mf@cornell-gvax (Bitnet) MF AT CRNLCS
Organization: Cornell Universe City
Lines: 48

Recently, Messrs. Felderer and Hoffman have flooded the local Community
Cable channel (open to any individual or organisation) with a series of
programmes and interviews ``scientifically proving'' that the Holocaust
is a hoax perpretrated by the ``so-called jews'' (sometimes called also
``Christian/Zionists'' conspiracy) who are really Kazars (good ol'
Koestler); another target of their attacks is, for instance, Ann Frank
and her diaries (fakes, according to them); that the evidence against
Mengele was fabricated -- after all his ``so-called victims'' looked
very healthy to Felderer, who concludes that he (Mengele) was a
humanitarian doctor; then Amnesty International, with its ``disregard
of human rights'' and so on; all this linked to the politics and
policies of the Israeli Govt.

Now Mr. Felderer, who happens to have been a Jew (and it seems was interned
in a concentration camp for a while), a Jehovah witness and now has his
own religion (I am quoting), has been institutionalised in Sweden, after
he published material stating, inter alia, that the gas chambers never
existed and that what Hitler really gassed was lice (so where did half of
my family disappear?).  Any reasonable person (I hope) can very quickly
realise that he is quite unbalanced and discount his rantings forthwith.

My worry is with those multitudes who watch TV indiscriminately, who
believe in the printed word (if they know how to read) or the image,
who have no knowledge nor personal connections to the Holocaust.  For them,
such theses may seem reasonable, all the more so that they appeal to
deeply rooted racist atavistic attitudes.  In other words, it is much
easier and more successful to appeal to the fear of the different than
to openness and tolerance; it is much easier to discount the Holocaust as
a hoax than to accept its moral implications.

How to respond?  Point-by-point rebuttal does not look effective to me,
after all, the viewers never care about historical truth.  After having
talked with several concerned individuals, it seems we should individually
bring as much material as possible to this local channel.  The first idea
that several hit upon separately was ``Night and Fog.''  Now I would like
to hear suggestions from you on other video material that you think might
be of help.  Remember, it is not *for* Jews, and the audience is not
a priori interested in very scientific or learned material; on the other
hand, soap-opera-like tear-jerkers are not appropriate either.

I would welcome any suggestions on movies, sources, anything -- by mail.
Thank you.

M. Fingerhut

ARPA:   mf@cornell-gvax
Bitnet: MF at CRNLCS
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