I Didn't Do Enough - A Tribute Poem

 I write these words late on Tuesday night, as Yom HaShoah draws to a close.

On this day, we remember.

On this day, we promise to never forget.

On this day, we remind ourselves of the horrors of the last generation, silently praying for peace and premising ourselves, that WE WON'T FORGET.

It is on this day, that I was reminded of a poem I wrote sometime in the summer of last year. Inspired by the heartbreaking scene in the movie "Schindler's List" where as the war finally draws to a close, every one of his workers whom he Oskar Schindler saved, wrote him a letter, in which they explain everything. It is a letter meant for him to show to the appropriate authorities, in case he would be captured.

After that, one of his most trusted workers and friends gives him a ring with the Talmudic phrase "Whoever saves one life saves the world entire" engraved on it. Touched, Schindler shakes the workers' hand and whispers to him that he could have got more Jews out of the camps, if he had made more money. He could have used the money to save more Jews.

I find it difficult to write about the conversation, because I want to write it clearly so I am going to write a word-for-word version of it.

After Schindler shakes the workers hand he whispers: "I could have got more out. I could have got more. And more, if I just... I could have got more".

The worker responds: "Oscar, there are eleven hundred people who are alive because of you. Look at them." to which Schindler emotionally continues by saying: "If I'd made more money." Than almost embarrassed, but getting more emotional he says "I threw away so much money... You have no idea. If I'd just..."

The worker responds: "There will be generations because of what you did."

In a chocked voice, Oscar Schindler says one more heartbreaking line: "I didn't do enough."

His worker responded, " You did so much."

He than walks around thinking out loud, saying if he had sold his car, he would have got ten more people. Ten people. If he had sold his suit pin, he would have got two more. Perhaps even one.

One more. One more. One more.

It is at this point, the full emotional impact of what he didn't do catches up with him and he openly bursts in to tears.

I choose, today on this day, Yom HaShoah, to remind myself that yes, the Jewish People suffered during this time, we suffered so much, yet by G-ds word, we survived. I choose this day to pay tribute to Oskar Schindler, a man who saved over 1,00 people from the war.

And yet, still, he felt, he didn't do enough.

But, like his worker said, he'd done so much.

It is now that I finally present to you this poem, titled quite fittingly "I Didn't Do Enough!"

May we never forget those who we lost. May we never forget.

May those who stand with us today, be remembered for their good.

May redemption come soon, speedily in our days.

With all my blessings,

Yitzy Schweitzer

I Didn't Do Enough - A Tribute Poem

I didn't do enough,
Yet how much more could one person do,
When he has done everything,

I didn't do enough,
Yet he has done everything,
They know it, they believe it,
Yet broken is he.

I didn't do enough,
Yet he did his best,
He tried, despite everything,
He saved the world entire,
Yet he did not save enough.

I didn't do enough,
He did so much,
How much more could one brave man do,
When he has done everything.

I didn't do enough,
Yet on his ring says the line,
He who saves one life, saves the world entire,
Yet still, he felt he didn't do enough

I didn't do enough,
Oh, G-d, let him see,
How much he has done
Tell him he done his best.

I didn't do enough,
Oh, G-d, bring him peace,
For he did do enough,
He did so much.

 

He