Reflections on the Holocaust: Would 2026 America Repeat the Mistakes of 1939?

Would the ocean liner SS St. Louis with its more than 900 Jewish refugees be allowed to come ashore in America today? I'm honestly not sure.

Phil Williams lights candle on behalf of the “Righteous Among the Nations” (Photo: Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville)

“We light this candle in honor of justice, and in gratitude for the Righteous Among the Nations and all those who refused indifference. We are mindful that evil does not need our help, only our silence. They saw injustice and acted. They recognized the warning signs—the words, the patterns, the quiet shifts—and chose courage over comfort. With this candle, we commit ourselves to the same sacred work: to educate, to challenge, to speak, and to stand before injustice grows. May their light not be extinguished in us; may we carry it forward.”

— Rabbi Shana Goldstein Mackler

For me, it was a solemn and humbling experience to be asked to light a candle for Yom HaShoah, the 2026 Community Holocaust Commemoration sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville.

I was invited to participate because of my on-going stand against hate, and the candle I lit was in honor o…