Dayenu remembers the gay victims of the Holocaust
Sydney-based Dayenu representing the Jewish Gay and Lesbian community have commemorated Yom HaShoah at the GLBTI War Memorial in Darlinghurst.
Spokesperson Jo Cohen told J-Wire: “Dayenu observed this day with the upmost respect and intention, especially as we have an elder member who is a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who we are blessed was present. We were also lucky enough to have the Rabbi Kamins from Emmanual Synagogue to say Yizkor for those who perished.”
Precise figures on the number of homosexuals exterminated in Nazi Death camps have never been established. Estimates range from 10,000 to 15,000. It does not appear that the Nazis ever set it as their goal to completely eradicate all homosexuals. Rather, it seems, the official policy was to either re-educate those homosexuals who were “behaviourally” and only occasionally homosexual and to block those who were “incurable” homosexuals through castration, extreme intimidation, or both.
