To mark the publication of the Spanish edition of Jobst Bittner’s book Veil of Silence, a team of over 20 people traveled to Latin America to conduct seminars on the subject. For the first time, these events took the form of conferences in Bogotá, Santo Domingo, and finally in Buenos Aires.
The message of the Veil of Silence, with its call to repentance for antisemitism and hatred of Jews in the family, church, nation, and in one’s own life, as well as to confront one’s own history, is fundamental to the March of Life.
Jobst Bittner spoke not only about the history of his hometown of Tübingen, but also about the specific historical guilt issues of each nation in each country. In particular, he addressed the “veil of silence” over contemporary antisemitism in Latin American societies.
His teaching on the “veil of silence in the nations” touched the participants deeply. Many spoke openly for the first time about aspects of their family history that had been suppressed or never addressed. Longstanding antisemitic attitudes within their own families were also addressed.
In the Dominican Republic, for example, the head pastor of the host congregation in Santo Domingo spoke publicly for the first time about the guilt of her grandfather, who as a general had been complicit in the Trujillo regime of the 1930s: “My grandfather was a general under the dictator Trujillo. At that time, there was no general who didn’t have blood on his hands.
The conference was followed by the seventh annual March of Life in Santo Domingo. More than 500 people from all over the country participated. Speakers at the final rally included the mayor of the city, Jobst Bittner, and the Israeli ambassador.
In total, several hundred people attended each conference. In Buenos Aires, a livestream reached several thousand people throughout Argentina. Over 500 copies of the book were sold during the three-week trip – and more are already on order! The trip made it clear that when the veil of silence is lifted, healing can begin – both personally and nationally.
