Ukholo Oluphilayo Naphezu Kosizi
CISHE eminyakeni engu-60 edlule, uMina Esch wathola iposikhadi elalivela kumyeni wakhe, uPeter. Umyalezo owawubhalwe ngesandla wawumfushane futhi ungaqondakali. Noma kunjalo, wajabula kakhulu lapho ewuthola. Umyeni kaMina wayeyisiboshwa ekamu lokuhlushwa eBuchenwald, uhulumeni wamaNazi wamthumela khona ngoba engomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Ngemuva leli posikhadi lalinamazwi amafushane athi: “Isiboshwa sisewuMfundi WeBhayibheli [njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi] ongaguquki . . . Ngenxa yaleso sizathu kuphela, siphucwe ilungelo lokubhala nokuthola izincwadi.” Lo myalezo watshela uMina ukuthi uPeter wayemi eqinile okholweni lwakhe.
Leli posikhadi, manje eselivithizekile futhi eseliphuphile, libolekwe uMuseum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, oseBattery Park, eNew York City. Isithombe sikaPeter Esch, kanye neposikhadi kukhuluma ngengxenye encane yomlando omkhulu wenhlekelele yesintu—ukuQothulwa Kwesizwe—okwashabalalisa amaJuda ayizigidi eziyisithupha phakathi nakho. Lo mnyuziyamu unezithombe ezingaphezu kuka-2 000 nezinto zobuciko ezingokomlando nezingokwesiko ezingu-800 eziveza okuhlangenwe nakho komphakathi wamaJuda kusukela ngawo-1880 kuze kube manje, kuhlanganise nokuQothulwa Kwesizwe. Kungani uMuseum of Jewish Heritage uyindawo efanelekayo yokukhangisa iposikhadi likaPeter Esch?
Isazi-mlando sasemnyuziyamu uDkt. Jud Newborn sachaza: “Injongo yalo mnyuziyamu ukuveza umlando wamaJuda. OFakazi BakaJehova bashushiswa ngenxa yalokho ababeyikho. OFakazi bashushiswa ngenxa nje yezinkolelo zabo nangenxa yokuthi babengakholelwa obandlululweni lobuhlanga, ekwenzeni izifungo zokuhambisana nomashiqela wezwe omubi. Futhi babengakholelwa ekulweni impi yakhe. . . . AmaJuda alwa kanzima ukuze alondoloze izindinganiso zawo nokholo lwawo ebhekene nokuphikiswa okukhulu. Lo mnyuziyamu uqokomisa amandla anjalo angokomoya okwenqaba ukuhileleka. Ngenxa yaleso sizathu, le nhlangano iyaluncoma futhi iyalwazisa ukholo olwaboniswa oFakazi BakaJehova enkathini yamaNazi.”
Ekhaya layo lesikhashana eMuseum of Jewish Heritage, incwadi engatheni ichaza ukushikashikeka kwendoda ebuqotho bayo kuJehova bafakwa ovivinyweni. UPeter Esch wasinda kulolu vivinyo ekamu lamaNazi, ukholo lwakhe luqinile.
[Isithombe ekhasini 31]
UMuseum of Jewish Heritage, eNew York City
[Izithombe ekhasini 31]
U-Esch, ongomunye woFakazi BakaJehova, waboshwa kusukela ngo-1938 kuya ku-1945 ngenxa yokwenqaba ukuphika izinkolelo zakhe