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BY RABBI RACHEL BLATT

Montana Tucker has been modeling, acting, and singing since she was nine years old.  She has been in blockbuster films, featuring her songs in some of them, has performed as a dancer for  a number of the biggest pop stars, and has14 million combined followers across her social media platforms, the majority being the Gen Z population.  Montana’s grandparents are Holocaust survivors.  In 2024, she created an educational online Docu-Series, “How To: Never Forget.” For this project, Montana traveled to Poland with her mother, Michelle. The emotional journey culminated with a 10-part Docu Series that Tucker posted on her social media channels. The series ends with a visit to Auschwitz, where all four of Montana’s great grandparents were murdered.  

 

Now, Montana has a new project.  In October 2024, she interviewed Israeli children for a documentary, The Children of October 7. MTV will air the 36-minute film commercial-free for Yom HaShoah on Thursday, April 24, at 9 p.m. (ET).  It is also available beginning today on Paramount+.  

 “Hearing children, ages 11 to 17, describe being taken hostage by Hamas, witnessing their families murdered, losing their homes and innocence in one morning – felt hauntingly familiar,” Tucker said.  “There is a painful and undeniable parallel between the testimonies of Holocaust survivors and the testimonies from these children. The fear, the loss, the trauma – it’s the same. History is repeating itself, and we cannot stay silent.”

Recent Holocaust knowledge surveys showed shocking levels of ignorance – especially among Gen Z and Millennials – across America and around the world. An alarming number of individuals could not name a single concentration camp, did not know what Auschwitz was, did not know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust – or thought it was less than 2 million – and even think that Jews caused the Holocaust.

 Yom HaShoah serves as a crucial reminder of this dark chapter in human history. It is a day to mourn the millions who perished and to honor those who confronted its horrors. Their story is a testament to both the depths of human cruelty and the resilience of the human spirit.

Comprehensive education about the Holocaust and other genocides is vital to help prevent intolerance, foster empathy and promote a commitment to preserve human dignity. It is a call to action, urging us to remain vigilant against all forms of hatred – ensuring that the lessons of the Holocaust are never forgotten.

The end of Megillah Hashoah says:  

“Do not mourn too much, but do not sink into the 

forgetfulness of apathy. Do not allow days of darkness 

to return; weep, but wipe the tears away. 

Do not absolve and do not exonerate, 

do not attempt to understand. 

Learn to live without 

an answer. 

Through our blood, live!”

Thanks to Montana Tucker, MTV, and Paramount+. Hopefully the message and lessons of the Holocaust will be remembered and taught so that Never Again remains true.

 

 

Sat, April 26 2025 28 Nisan 5785