A cart carrying a copy of the extermination camp gate, with the inscription “Work liberates”, was seen in a parade in the town of Hanover in the USA • The designer of the performance apologized following the criticism: “I made a mistake” • The Jewish community condemned the event
A cart carrying a replica of the Auschwitz death camp gate, with the words “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work sets you free”) on it, was spotted at St. Joseph Catholic School’s Halloween parade in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania on Thursday. The designer who created the performance, Jaylen S. Shelly, apologized and told the local media that he was not trying to hurt anyone. “I made a mistake and I am deeply sorry,” he said in response. He explained that the decision to add the Auschwitz gate was made because the “bow of lights” he ordered did not arrive on time. In his response, he explained that his intention in the performance was to “illustrate the idea that none of us get out of this life alive.”
In a video clip from the parade, the cart is seen passing through Hanover’s central square, decorated with pumpkins and ghosts, as children and adults, mostly dressed in green, walk alongside it, and in the background the announcer encourages the spectators to cheer. The sign with the inscription “Work is liberating” was placed at the back of the cart.
“I think a lot of people just didn’t understand what it meant, but it doesn’t undo the damage that was done,” said Matthew Jackson, a Hanover resident and activist for equality and social justice. The Jewish community in the area condemned the performance, and made it clear that there are no circumstances in which the presentation of the Auschwitz Gate is acceptable, except in an educational context.
The Catholic bishop, Timothy C. Senior, whose school is in his area of responsibility – published an official apology, two days after the incident. “The use of this image, which represents the suffering and the terrible slaughter of millions of innocent people, including six million Jews in the Holocaust, is offensive and unacceptable,” he wrote in an official statement he published. “Although the original approved design for the cart did not include this image, the fact that this recognizable symbol of hate was displayed remains grave.”
The police reported that following the incident, a threatening phone message was left for the principal of the Catholic school, in which it was claimed that the lives of the school’s children were in danger. A Philadelphia man was subsequently arrested and charged with making terroristic threats and other offenses.
The Jewish community said it is working with the various communities to “create opportunities for education and a better understanding of the history behind these symbols and images, to ensure that ‘never again’ becomes a reality.”