The fact is, that the Jews were conditioned by 2000 years of Christian persecutions to play the role of victims. This notion was even incorporated into our liturgy - Kiddush Hashem. Bending like reef to the hurricanes that uprooted mighty oaks. Persecutions made us strong through meekness, and this did not work with Hitler. Through our culture and institutions.
Culture is the vehicle that binds generation to generation.
In a quest for immortality, to deny the transient nature of life and obtain a measure of security we congegrate into social groups. Each of us maintains a multiple of identities, such us American Jew, Afro-American, etc. Within those channels of multiple identities, one always find a channel connected with the Holocaust, through which is the historical responsibility is transferred or transmitted. During the Holocaust, a de facto conspiracy of silence was maintained by the Allies and nothing was done to rescue the victims or at least interfere with the killing process, like bombing of the railroad facilities. Scenes from the Holocaust are saturated with unbelievable cruelty and degradation, of the victims and perpetrators.