Two quotes from the most tyrannical tyrant (so far) against our people, that we Jews must sadly take into consideration and put into practice to survive: “He alone who owns the youth, gains the future,” and, “The man who has no sense of history is like a man who has no ears or eyes.”  We must embrace these words as a guide to educating our young of our history and our future. The fact that we are well into Holocaust II and our kids have no idea as to what’s going on, should scare the “you know what,” out of every one of us. Our Jewish schools and homes have failed to prepare their students and kids for what they are facing now.

Look at the vim and vigor of the American/Palestinian high school and college students and their ignorant supporters in defending the brutal actions of their Hamas brothers against Jews in Israel. Look at how they emerged from their classrooms to take over the streets and their schools to propagandize the slaughter that should have brought all people to denounce them. But there was no outcry from their Jewish peer counterparts. Jewish kids at Cooper-Union in Brooklyn hid for their lives in a school library, while supporters of Hamas rampaged in the hallways. A Jewish teacher in Hillcrest HS in Queens barricaded herself from bloodthirsty kids attempting to attack her. Where were the Jewish students to speak out and stand up to these threats? Nowhere to be found. Sadly, some of them were actually part of the pro-Hamas hordes that took to the streets and hallways to support our enemies. Who else but Jews fill the ranks of Jewish Voice for Peace, Americans for Peace Now, J Street and other Jew/Israel hating groups? What can we do to change the present and future?

We must start right now in teaching Jewish kids of our history in our Jewish day schools, synagogue youth centers and in our homes. The history of our people must be taught to fill them with the knowledge and pride as to our peoples’ heritage, accomplishments and strengths. Jewish summer camps must include self defense courses, physical and armed defense together with the proper use of firearms, target practice along with the customary softball, boating and nature studies. Our religious schools must focus on the history of Israel to counter the claims of “Palestinians” that, “they were there first and the Jews now occupy our land.” Jewish kids must learn the arguments used against them and the facts to dispute them in discourse. They must also be given the moral strength to stand up to their opponents vocally and physically as a sign that as a people, we will physically and morally fight for our survival and not hide for fear, behind doors or others. We must discard all signs of weakness.

We must also use our synagogues and their youth centers to fortify our kids’ self worth as Jews. Lectures, given by IDF heroes telling of the victories over Israel’s foes should be standard and frequent. Our rabbis should intertwine their sermons spelling out the history of our people and our many contributions to all fields of knowledge, medical, scientific, music and business throughout history with their typical religious topics. We must learn from our enemies that the education of our young will strengthen our survival and make us a more secure and self satisfied people. Let’s start with our kids and let them continue the trend with theirs. On and on………