Words of courage and hope in dark times | Letters

I person a missive similar the 1 from Mahmoud Khalil to his newborn, written by my gramps arsenic helium laic dying to my begetter (To my newborn son: I americium absent not retired of apathy, but conviction, 11 May). My begetter was a Jewish Kindertransport exile to the UK from Vienna successful May 1939. My gramps wrote it successful 1934 arsenic the clouds of fascism were massing.

Khalil’s missive speaks to courageousness and kindness, a father’s emotion for his son. It speaks from a spot wherever it is wide that Palestinians person nary information astatine each successful their future, wherever their hopes are being systematically crushed.

My grandma survived a attraction campy and remained determination for immoderate months aft liberation to guarantee the proceedings of her SS captors. She delayed being reunited with her lad due to the fact that she believed that she had an work to his future.

She spoke to maine of the perils of Zionism erstwhile I was excessively young to recognize what she meant. I spot a parallel betwixt her beliefs and those of Khalil, and I spot successful some a anticipation for the end of hatred.
Nick Kary
Totnes, Devon