So I have mixed feelings about #HolocaustMemorialDay because I grew up in a family where every day was Holocaust Memorial Day. My mothers' family were either refugees or perished. No survivors. Not a meal happens at my parents home where the Holocaust or Nazis are not mentioned.

I don't recall a time when I did not know about the Holocaust, the camps, the gassing. I grew up with the knowledge that having Jewish children meant exposing them to the potentially lethal dangers of antisemitism. I grew up with hoarding food and always having a plan of escape.

I live daily in defiance of the Nazis and the MANY collaborators who tried not just to kill our people but destroy our spirit. I celebrate being Jewish and work hard to enable pride and understanding of our heritage for all. I work hard to push back against baseless hatred.

My dissertation celebrated the lives of German Jewish women and the joy they created in their kitchens and homes. My son was born in Germany and now serves in the American army. My life is a counter-narrative to all that the Nazis tried to accomplish.

So while I mourn and remember today on #HolocaustRemembranceDay it does not stand out for me but is part of the very fabric of my being.