History in Proper Context
The folks at the Marshalltown Community Theater are presenting “The Diary of Anne Frank” this weekend. As the promotional materials for the play note, it tells of Dutch residents forced into hiding by the Nazi invasion of Amsterdam, and “is a true story of hope and resilience against overwhelming oppression.”
When the schedule for the season’s performances was released this past summer, it was noted that the production was selected because of the lessons to be learned, given what was going on in the country.
I thought that was valid, given all the anti-Jewish protests in our country in the wake of the Hamas terror attack on Israel, and given that Marshalltown had a sizeable Jewish population in the 20th Century, and even had a robust Jewish congregation attending a synagogue there.
I was disappointed to learn that the oppression referred to was enforcing federal law against those who are in this country illegally. The parallel they are apparently drawing is between the Nazi invasion of another nation during World War II, and ICE agents under the Trump Administration.
I personally know some of the folks involved in the production, and know them to be good people with good hearts. So I am not intending to go into “blast” mode today.
However, I suggest it is misguided at best to draw the analogies the folks putting on the performance are using. As noted, it’s a fine play that deserves to be presented without revising history to fit a contemporary political narrative. The actual truth from the portrayal—and how Jews and like-minded people are still being persecuted today—is sadly accurately sufficient.
