Holocaust jokes. We’ve all heard them. Sometimes, we end up being the butt of the joke. I used to not think very much of them. I am a Jewish teenager with a lot of non-Jewish friends; of course, I will hear them. The jokes were so common that I have become almost accustomed to them. What changed all of this was one eye-opening conversation with a friend. He told me about his family, who suffered in the Holocaust. I began to realize the value and worth of the number six million. To most, the number is just a figure. To others, it's just another punchline. To me, though, I have begun to realize that the number is so much more than the face value. Six million people. Focus in on any one person and you begin to realize that every one of them has a story. A past. The families they used to celebrate holidays with. Friends they used to run around with. Some people had school, a place where many were learning the ins and outs of society. For others, there were jobs that supported entire families. There were livelihoods. There were careers. Six million is not “just a number.” Six million is not something to just look at and go about your day. Six million needs to be looked at on an individual level. Six million lives. Six million heartbeats. All gone in one foul swoop. We vowed never to let it happen again. But October 7th really showed us otherwise. 1200 heartbeats. 1200 lives. All gone in a matter of hours. And an additional 251 people had every natural given right stripped. We’ve all heard the statement “never again is now,” and it could not be truer. There have been far too many instances of Jewish people being belittled and dehumanized, but our response has never changed. We will remain resilient. We will remain strong. And most importantly, we will continue on with those six million and 1451 lives on our mind. We will not stand by and watch jokes be cracked about these souls. We will fight in the name of humanity. In the name of the Jewish people. And most importantly, in the name of Eretz Yisrael.