12 October to 19 October

Reflection in the face of man's inhumanity

On a beautiful sunny day I stood with my daughter at the entrance to Auschwitz 1 and read the words above the gate 'Arbeit Macht Frei' with a sense of foreboding. I was about to enter the place where over a million innocent men, women and children were tortured, beaten, experimented on and murdered. Moving through buildings, overwhelmed by the feelings of sadness and revulsion I was experiencing. If terror can be captured in pictures then it was on the faces of those prisoners on the walls looking back at me.

Moving on to Auschwitz-Birkenau, a purpose build extermination camp, even more harrowing, built on a scale that truly shocked me, yet for all the people walking round the place there was a strange silence. My visit and the feelings experienced will remain with me forever, I looked at my daughter many times whilst walking round, knowing we were free to leave at any time, I cannot truly imagine what it was like for those who never had that chance. I believe anyone of whatever faith or culture who visits Auschwitz cannot leave without feeling a terrible sadness, and as I walked away I asked in prayer 'Please God,.NEVER AGAIN.

Neil Kenna, Leslie Silver International Faculty

This reflection was originally posted as an International Reflection. A number of other ethical reflections have touched on a similar theme, including

Denis Rowley's reflection 'Stories of our past and future'

The Chief Rabbi, Sir Jonathan Sachs' reflection 'Changing the future by remembering the past':