tourists take a selfie at auschwitz
Tourists pose in front of Sachsenhausen’s “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate. (Photo/JTA-Courtesy Austerlitz-Loznitsa)

On episode #133 of (Is it) Good for the Jews?: Goldbrener is in his relaxing threads (not to be confused with his Mexican lounging suit, and Rosen’s wearing new shoes, putting the boys in a relaxed mood. All the better to tackle the big issues of the day: DJT’s first address to a (barely listening) congress, Warren Beatty and the Oscars snafu, IKEA catalog problems and — more pointedly — how 100 bomb threats should impact American Jews.

Eventually, they turn to this week’s question:

Is Holocaust tourism good for the Jews?

Is it unreasonable to expect that visitors understand that Auschwitz isn’t just another tourist spot? Can tourists with no skin in the game be expected to understand exactly what’s going on here? Is it possible to get something lasting out of a concentration camp visit and take a selfie while you’re there?

J. covers our community better than any other source and provides news you can't find elsewhere. Support local Jewish journalism and give to J. today. Your donation will help J. survive and thrive!

Support J.

Eric Goldbrener is a Libertarian, Zionist, atheist and autodidact technologist. He co-hosts the podcast “(Is It) Good for the Jews?”

Larry Rosen is a writer, husband, father and author of “The Rabbi Has Left the Building,” a memoir about his son’s bar mitzvah. He co-hosts the podcast “(Is It) Good for the Jews?”