Ray Allen relived the memories of his 2017 Auschwitz visit in the wake of Ye West’s antisemitic rants and had Celtics’ Jaylen Brown in focus.
The former Celtics guard, not a stranger to being vocal about his thoughts, re-shared his article on social media.
The 47-year-old’s article in 2017 was a heartening read as he recounted his thoughts and feelings when he visited the WWII concentration camp that played an integral role in the death of a million Jews at the hands of Nazis.
In his piece for The Players Tribune, Allen spoke about the purpose behind the visit — something he garnered flak for from his community. And he said he had done so as a human being.
The feature starts off with Allen describing a hole in a kitchen in one of the homes that belonged to a certain Tadeusz Skoczylas. His house had sheltered the Jews during wartime and had a five-by-five space dug into the kitchen that could fit six people so that they could escape death.
I’m looking at this tiny space. And I’m imagining six people down there, hiding from death. Six real people. Crawling through that little hole right in front of me. Not that long ago. It wasn’t a history book. It wasn’t a museum. It was right there.
The Hall of Famer’s emotions could be seen on full display as he went on to further explain the history of the house he visited. Tadeusz had explained the gripping and gory tale of his ancestors being executed for sheltering the Jews and his grandfather, then a young boy escaped as he wasn’t there when his family was punished for their acts.
“I couldn’t believe it. And as I walked through the rest of the house, this feeling sort of took over me. There was all this history right in front of me. And it was real. I could reach out and touch it. I could feel it between my fingers and smell it in the air. It was a tangible thing.”
He also described the aura and the environment around him in Auschwitz:
“I thought I knew what the Holocaust was, and what it meant. I went to Poland with a few close friends to learn more. But I wasn’t prepared for how deeply the visit would affect me. I had seen so many documentaries and films on Auschwitz, but nothing really prepares you for being there. The first thing I felt when I walked through those iron gates was … heavy. The air around me felt heavy. I stood on the train tracks where the prisoners of the camp would arrive, and I felt like I could hear the trains coming to a halt. I had to take a breath to center myself. It was so immediate. So overwhelming.”
Allen’s initial reason behind the visit was to know more about the Holocaust, especially after being exposed to it since his teenage days. Still, when he did visit the place that is now living proof of tragic history, his reasoning changed.
Ray Allen’s Answer To The Criticism For His Auschwitz Visit: “I Went As A Human Being.”
Allen was intrigued by the holocaust when he visited the museum in Washington D.C., and he adds that he made it a point to take the players to the place, whichever team he played, and whenever they suited up for a game in Washington.
One of the visits saw him bring out his philosophical side when he saw the pictures of the Jews being sent to their death. While there were soul-stirring tales of brotherhood and friendship born out during the dreadful time, it also gave him an inkling of what humans were.
“The people of these Jewish communities were pushed to the absolute limit of their human instincts. They just wanted to survive. And from that, the tales of brotherhood and camaraderie are so awe-inspiring. It was a reminder of what the human spirit is capable of — both for good and evil.”
The featurette saw some flak, but Allen quashed all the doubts with a heartfelt response. He wasn’t there to experience a piece of history, he was there as a human being.
“When I returned home to America, I got some very disheartening messages directed toward me on social media regarding my trip. Some people didn’t like the fact that I was going to Poland to raise awareness for the issues that happened there and not using that time or energy to support people in the black community.”
“I was told my ancestors would be ashamed of me. I know there are trolls online and I shouldn’t even pay attention, but that one sort of got to me. Because I understood where they were coming from. I understand that there are plenty of issues in our own country right now, but they were looking at my trip the wrong way. I didn’t go to Poland as a black person, a white person, a Christian person, or a Jewish person — I went as a human being.”
In Allen’s eyes, the Tadeusz family were heroes, and they were willing to sacrifice their lives for one another. It was heroism in times of tumult, a response towards breaking through ignorance.
The Celtics alum’s gut-wrenching experience of his visit serves as a timely reminder to society as he addressed Ye West’s remarks in his own way that also thrust the spotlight on Jaylen Brown.
The entire story is available to read on The Players Tribune linked above.
