A fond farewell

By Paul R. Bartrop, PhD

writing this column, it falls to me to say that this will be my last. In December, I will be retiring from Florida Gulf Coast University and returning to my native Australia to embark on the next phase of my life’s journey. The COVID-19 pandemic has hastened this decision; it has, let’s face it, caused huge transformations for people the world over, translating, in my case, to bringing forward my retirement plans.

My first article in these pages was exactly eight years ago this month. Since that time, my articles have ranged widely across the full spectrum of the tragedy that was the Holocaust, always with an eye to showcasing an anniversary relative to that month’s issue. Judging by the many emails I have received from across Southwest Florida during that time, it would appear that my articles have been appreciated — notwithstanding the frequently depressing and tragic themes they have covered.

There is still a long way to go, however. If you have enjoyed reading my articles, I appeal to you to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust during the dark time in which we are living, and to bear in mind the words of the late Rabbi Hugo Gryn, a survivor of the Holocaust who became an esteemed and much-loved communal leader in the United Kingdom after the war:

“Time is short and the task is urgent. Evil is real. So is good. There is a choice. And we are not so much chosen as choosers.”

I can think of no better sign-off than that always given at the end of every show from the Irish comedian, Dave Allen, “Thank you, goodnight, and may your God go with you.”