Synagogue In Westfield To Host 'Hate Ends Now' Cattle Car Experience

WESTFIELD, NJ — In order to increase Holocaust education in the local community, Temple Emanu-El in Westfield is hosting an immersive, 360-degree exhibit inside a replica of a World War II cattle car.

The program, called "Hate Ends Now Cattle Car Experience," was created by the organization MyShadowLight and will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 7 outside the synagogue on 756 East Broad Street.

During the Holocaust, cattle cars were used to forcibly transport Jews and other targeted groups to concentration camps and extermination camps throughout Europe.

Built to transport cattle, up to 150 individuals were crammed into these wooden, windowless freight cars and travelled an average of four days without food, water, restroom facilities or even the ability to sit down.

Many deportees died in the cattle cars, and for those who survived, the cars symbolized the "terrifying descent into the darkness that robbed them of their families, freedom and for some, even their lives," according to MyShadowLight.

Rabbi Ethan Prosnit of Temple Emanu-El told Patch that the synagogue decided to host this event as a way to educate the community about the atrocities of the Holocaust at a time where antisemitism is on the rise.

"We wanted to find a powerful way to share testimony and continue to educate our teens, our Temple family, and the greater Westfield community so the Holocaust is not forgotten," Rabbi Prosnit said. "The immersive cattle car experience also touches upon antisemitism and other hate speech and empowers everyone to speak out and stand up."

Prosnit also said Holocaust denial is increasing and Adolf Hitler is being "praised by influential individuals."

In a recent interview with right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, rapper Kanye West praised Hitler and the Nazis, denied the Holocaust and made several antisemitic remarks. Hours after the interview, West also tweeted an image of a swastika intertwined with a Star of David, with the caption "YE24 LOVE EVERYONE #LOVESPEECH."

In addition to hosting the Cattle Car Experience in the synagogue's parking lot, the program will also be brought to Westfield High School on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, over the past few years we have seen increased antisemtic graffiti including many swastikas and other hate symbols at Westfield High School," Prosnit said. "We are distressed by these incidents and we believe one of the responses necessary is to teach our students about the past and educate about these symbols more."

"We also want to make sure our community has the courage to speak up and stand up when they see hate in our schools and in our town," the rabbi said.

The high school has seen several incidents of students etching swastikas into bathroom stalls in the past few years. Antisemitic graffiti was also discovered in Mindowaskin Park in September of 2021.

Most recently, Westfield Police Department increased its presence at synagogues in town due to a "broad threat" to synagogues across New Jersey.

Read more: Synagogue Threats Spur Increased Patrols In Westfield

This is the first time that Temple Emau-El is bringing a program like this to the Westfield community. But Rabbi Prosnit said throughout the year the synagogue hosts many other Holocaust programs, including hearing survivor testimony, visiting the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C, and discussing how one can be an "upstander."

The event will begin with a brief presentation led by Rabbi Prosnit at 12:20 p.m. and then at 12:30 p.m., people will enter the cattle car.

This will be an interactive multimedia experience where participants will get a 360 video that will broadcast Holocaust survivor stories, history of hate and bigotry and examples of how hate and intolerance continue today.

In total, the experience lasts for about 25 minutes. Prosnit said there will be an opportunity to debrief after the event, as well.

MyShadowLight's Cattle Car Experience is traveling across all of North America and is currently making its way down the East Coast.

Temple Emanu-El is one of the first stops on the tour. Over the two days that it will be in Westfield, Prosnit said he expects that over 500 individuals will participate in the experience.

The program is being sponsored by one of Temple Emanu-El's members whose mother was a Holocaust survivor. Prosnit said her mother received reparations from Germany and the congregant is now using these funds for Holocaust education.

You can learn more about the Cattle Car Experience on MyShadowLight's website.

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