Extending Knowledge, Generation to Generation
/by Aliyana
I’d like to first thank Voices of Hope for allowing me to speak at such an important event. I am truly honored.
In February of this year, I, along with (two other students), was given the opportunity to moderate a discussion at our school with former Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd.
We asked Senator Dodd questions about his father, Thomas Dodd’s, role in the Nuremberg trials, as well as his personal experiences being the son of the man who took part in one of the most important steps in human rights.
I think it is important to give a very brief overview of what the Nuremberg Trials were and the great significance of them. Between November of 1945 and October of 1946, the International Military Tribunal tried 22 of the most important Nazi leaders and six German organizations.
What was so extremely significant and crucial about this trial, is that it revealed to the entire world the extent of the atrocities Nazi’s committed on the millions and millions of Jews during World War II. People were finally able to see with their own eyes the extent of dehumanization and pure hate that Jews had to face.
The trial allowed some of the most horrible criminals to be tried for their terrible actions. In a way, the Nuremberg trials showed how the world stood with and for the Jews affected and killed during the Holocaust. That, despite everything, the world would defend them and obtain justice. That we stood with them because Jews are, like everyone else, simply human, and humans defend humans.
When I was given the opportunity to interview the former Senator, I felt very excited. I mean, it is not every day when you can interact with a member of the U.S. Congress. Senator Dodd was charismatic and very kind, and I somehow didn’t feel nervous to talk to him at all. His words empowered the entire room, and I left that day with a deeper understanding of humanity.
“I left that day with a deeper understanding of humanity.”
To be interviewing someone with such a close connection to such an event, even if he was very young when it actually took place, felt very surreal. Senator Dodd gave us such amazing insight into the Nuremberg trials and the bigger question of justice and responsibility. He gave me and the audience an entirely different perspective on human rights. One thing that stood out to me was Senator Dodd’s emphasis on togetherness and solidarity. He told us that these human rights issues were something for “us” to tackle together. In a way, our present day issues mirror the Nuremberg trials, as they were dependent on the corroboration of the prosecution.
Senator Dodd displayed his hope for the future, and I think I can speak for almost everyone in the audience when I say that we felt that hope. We felt that hope when Senator Dodd talked about his father’s letters to his mother while he was in Nuremberg, emphasizing that Thomas Dodd was your average family person above all else, like many of us. We felt that hope when Senator Dodd talked about the future of education and what we can do to improve it. Most of all, we felt that hope when Senator Dodd expressed his faith in the future generations to create a world of acceptance and love.
I’d like to end with this: if any single person is proof of education and proactivity across generations, it is Senator Dodd. Whether it be from his father to him, or him to a bunch of Avon High School students, Senator Dodd reveals how knowledge passed from one person to the next is the way for us to build a greater future. I urge you all to embody the feeling of hope in today's imperfect world, and to stand together as a community, for it is unity that will forge a better future for all. Thank you.
Aliyana is a senior at Avon High School. She spoke this week at an event sponsored by Voices of Hope, honoring former Connecticut U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd, author of the recently published Letters from Nuremberg. Voices of Hope is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization created by descendants of Holocaust survivors from across Connecticut. Elected officials attending included Governor Ned Lamont and U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy.
