Anne Frank was 15 years old when she died in a Nazi concentration camp. Yet her words outlived her body. Words scribbled in a diary from a secret attic in Amsterdam became one of the world’s most powerful mirrors.
This summer, I found myself in Amsterdam for Mindvalley U. By chance, my Airbnb was on the street next to Anne Frank’s house. Each morning, I’d step outside and see the same canals, the same cobblestones, and the same rooftops Anne may have glimpsed in stolen moments when she dared peek out from her hiding place.
A few mornings later, I opened the news and froze. The Diary of Anne Frank had just been banned in Florida schools under new book-ban laws. Imagine that. In 2025, one of the most important human documents ever written—the testimony of a teenage Jewish girl hiding from Nazi genocide—was deemed “inappropriate” for children to read.
The synchronicity hit me hard. I was standing before the building where those words were written. Words that survived Anne, even though she did not. Words that outlived war, genocide, and cruelty—only to be silenced again today by politicians who fear truth more than hatred.
And this got me thinking.
If Anne Frank were alive today, what would she say about America? About Israel & Gaza?
What I’m about to share may feel uncomfortable—but Anne’s words demand we face discomfort.
Who was Anne Frank
Anne Frank was born in Frankfurt in 1929. When the Nazis rose to power, her family fled to Amsterdam, hoping to escape persecution. In 1942, when deportations began, they went into hiding in a small annex behind her father’s office. For over two years, Anne, her sister Margot, her parents Otto and Edith, and four others lived in silence, relying on the courage of Dutch friends who smuggled them food and news.
Anne wasn’t just a symbol. She was a teenager—funny, sharp, sometimes rebellious, and always observant. She dreamed of being a journalist. She once wrote, “I want to go on living even after my death.” And, tragically, she did—not through her life, but through her words.
In August 1944, they were betrayed. The Gestapo stormed the annex. The Franks were deported to Westerbork, then Auschwitz, and finally Anne and Margot to Bergen-Belsen. In early 1945, both sisters died of typhus—just weeks before liberation. Anne was 15.
Only Otto Frank survived. After the war, Miep Gies, one of the helpers, handed him Anne’s diary. He published it, fulfilling her dream. Today, it has sold over 30 million copies and been translated into more than 70 languages.
Anne’s body was silenced. But her voice became immortal.
Anne’s words in today’s world
Anne once wrote:
“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor, helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”
She was describing Nazi roundups in Amsterdam.
But doesn’t that sound eerily like ICE raids in America today? Parents taken in the middle of the night. Children left crying, bewildered, abandoned. Different time, different uniforms—but the same cruelty.
Anne also wrote:
“We are chained to one spot, without rights, a thousand obligations… waiting for the inevitable end.”
That could be the voice of Gaza today. Entire families locked in. Starved. Bombed. Denied freedom of movement. Children asking, “Why must we suffer simply because of who we are?”
Her words, written 80 years ago, read like dispatches from the present. History is not past. It is a loop—unless we break it.
A hard, controversial mirror
Anne’s diary teaches us to look at cruelty honestly, no matter where it comes from. And one thing history proves: atrocities don’t start with bullets. They start with words.
Dehumanizing language always comes first.
So let’s talk about Gaza, as uncomfortable as this may seem.
Consider the echoes:
- Nazi leadership (1943): Heinrich Himmler at Posen: “I am referring here to the evacuation of the Jews, the extermination of the Jewish people….”
- Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (2023): On the Palestinian town of Huwara: “[Huwara] should be wiped out. I think the State of Israel should do it.”
- Hitler, Mein Kampf: Jews as “the typical parasite, a sponger who, like an infectious bacillus, keeps spreading.” Nazi propaganda routinely cast Jews as vermin.
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (2023): Announcing a siege of Gaza: “There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel… We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly.”
- Nazi propaganda (Goebbels echoing Hitler): Jews blamed collectively for war, threatened with “extermination.”
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog (2023): “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible….” — words widely criticized as endorsing collective punishment.
- Nazi euphemisms: “Evacuation” as code for extermination.
- Israeli Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu (2023): Suggesting a nuclear strike on Gaza was “one of the options.”
Different contexts. Different scales. But the same pattern.
Dehumanize → Justify → Destroy.
Anne Frank’s words remind us: when we hear this language, it is never “just rhetoric.” It is the runway to cruelty.
You see, cruelty always begins the same way: when leaders tell us to fear “the other.”
Fear the immigrant.
Fear the refugee.
Fear the neighbor who looks different.
Fear the people beyond your border.
That is the oldest political trick in the book. And it works—unless we refuse to buy it.
Anne Frank didn’t write her diary so we could cry in museums. She wrote it so we could recognize her suffering in others—and have the courage to stop it.
Why giving people a chance matters
This message hit me with even greater force because, while in Amsterdam, I also had a chance encounter.
I bumped into a young Syrian man who once worked for me back in 2016. At the time, he was a refugee in Malaysia. He and his friend had escaped a country torn apart by war. One had seen his home blown to rubble. The other had lost a brother when a bomb fell on the very place his brother was resting.
Both had lived through horrors most of us can barely imagine. And yet, when I met them, I didn’t just see refugees. I saw brilliant young minds. I saw hope, determination, and resilience.
That year, I had an idea for a new learning model called Quest and needed someone to build the app. These two young Syrians built it in record time. That app became the Mindvalley app—today used by millions worldwide and even featured in 200,000 Apple stores on the iPad.
Yes, our app was built by Syrians. Yes, it was built by refugees who were given a chance.
Anne never got her chance. But when we give people that chance, look what can happen.
This is why I am so adamant about this message. When politicians tell you to fear refugees, or immigrants, or minorities, they’re not just lying. They are robbing humanity of its future.
The rule we must all live by
If there’s one rule we must all live by, it’s this:
The moment a leader tells you to fear refugees, minorities, or immigrants, you are looking at a tyrant.
Do not believe them. Do not reward their fear with your silence—or your vote.
Because fear divides. And division always leads to cruelty.
What the world needs now is unity.
Unity across stripes, colors, races, and ethnicities. Unity across cultures, religions, and especially across borders.
Because the only way we solve the greatest challenges facing humanity—from climate change to war to poverty—is to remember this truth:
We are one humanity.
And kindness cannot stop at the invisible lines of race, religion, or border.
The higher vision
Anne Frank once wrote:
“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”
That may be the most extraordinary line ever written. She believed it while hiding from people who wanted her dead.
If Anne could believe in human goodness then, we can believe in it now.
Let’s prove her right.
Let’s choose compassion over cruelty.
Let’s stand up for one another across borders.
Let’s silence the voices of fear not by shouting back but by choosing unity again and again.
Because Anne’s diary isn’t just a warning.
It’s a torch.
And it’s in our hands now.
So here’s what we can collectively do.
Stand for unity. Across color. Across race. Across borders. Across religions.
When you hear fear, answer with love.
When you hear division, answer with solidarity.
When a politician uses scapegoating, vote the other way.
The only way to honor Anne is to prove her right—that humanity is good at heart.
And that goodness becomes real when we act.
Because history doesn’t just happen to us. It is written by our choices—and our silence.
I’d like to hear from you: Drop a comment below—let’s create a conversation around unity, compassion, and what it means to stand for humanity in our time.
1,231 Responses
Absolutely disgraceful post – it is not “uncomfortable,” it is shameful and serving no purpose other than fanning the flames and rewarding Hamas for its brutal massacre of innocent Jewish people, holding of hostages, and using its own people as human shields.
I can answer your question – Anne Frank would be ashamed that you succeeded in twisting her words and experiences and comparing the Holocaust to a war that Israel did not initiate, against a regime whose charter includes the extermination of the Jewish people, and who have ceasefire offers on the table that they continue to refuse.
I have lost respect for you completely. Evidently, you’ve proven yourself to be either incapable of logical discernment, or have fallen prey to the propaganda machine aimed at eliminating the only Jewish country on Earth.
Well said Sarah!
This is manipulation well disguised as “leadership.” Manipulation served on a plate of “unity”. Be respectful of your members and remember that some of us actually possess the gift of discernment.
We are already bombarded with politics everywhere we turn. It’s unfortunate you felt the need to add to the noise.
Please remember that nobody joined mindvalley to hear your political views. Very presumptuous of you to send this into our inbox. Do better!
Elle you are sad
My best regards
Sheila
I totally disagree!! I think Vishen has written a thoughtful and factual piece that allows us to connect to his values – which are all about humanity, and reminds us that whilst abhorrent things are happening, we can do something in our own personal sphere to help make the world a better place.
It is neither presumptuous, nor even political.
We are witnessing atrocities in Gaza that our children and grandchildren will look on in as much abhorrence as many of us do now.
And they will ask – what did you do?
Well said.
Really??? I would encourage you to “be better” and see beyond the propaganda and rhetoric. There cannot be justice anywhere till there is justice everywhere. please find the empathy and humanity in your soul. Be better.
Feeding kids isn’t politics. Dropping bombs on unarmed civilians living in tents in ‘safe zones’, and targeting/killing journalists and healthcare workers isn’t politics. Pretending that it can be justified in any way is not discernment. You’re fooling yourself to avoid some harsh truth – the truth that everyone with eyes can see, if they’re not brainwashed. It’s a genocide. Every healthcare worker and every aid org on the ground has told us, without reservation, it’s deliberate starvation, it’s deliberate targeting of children with bullets to the head, chest and groin. It’s genocide. It’s a bipartisan, non-political issue. It’s human dignity, basic morality. Don’t kill kids. And all of Israel’s so-called ‘leadership’ is bragging that they’re doing it in front of the world and no one is stopping them.
You are exactly right, Elle. We can think for ourselves, thank you.
Criticizing a Genocide goes beyond politics. It is humanity. Mindvalley is about humanity, so why are you so upset? Do better.
bot.
Thank you Vishen for being brave enough to address this even when so many are being silenced.
We see the truth. Thanks for adding your vital voice.
¡TENE CUIDADO, VISHEN, MUUCHOOO CUIDADO! EL ZANAHORIO TE VA A QUITAR TU VISA USA, TAMBIEN ECHARA A TUS HIJOS DE UNIVERSIDADES YANQUIS.-
EXPULSAN A TODOS LOS MORENOS, Y NO VAN A DISTINGUIR QUE TU Y TUS HIJOS NO SON MEXICANOS, O SALVADOREÑOS, O ALGO ASI…
Thank you for this powerful reminder to chose love, courage and unity.
I am deeply disgusted how you can use the example of Anne Frank and compare her to the Palestinians without any mention of Hamas & October 7th. Don’t mix your uninformed & biased politics with business. Deleted your app & cancelled my Mindvalley subscription!
I did the same! I immediately canceled my subscription and hope more will be wise enough to do the same.
I’m wondering if any of the teachers on this platform are Jewish and have something to say about this.
I am likewise disgusted – this is completely one sided, ignoring the genocidal foundational aims of Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran to wipe out Israel completely and all Jews across the world. Vishen have you read the vile anti-Semitic propaganda taught in UNRWA schools that directly led to the atrocities of October 7? Do you understand that they call Jews vermin just as the Nazis did? Dont comment when you clearly have such an unsophisticated uninformed view.
History will repeat itself if we don’t take heed. I am looking for guidance as to what I can do beyond contacting my congressional representatives, as they don’t hold my same views. I know voting is critical and I do. But what else can I do? Still trying to be hopeful.
Thank you so much for these comments. Your words spoke my heart and mind. I deeply value your work and courage to speak on topics you know are “a hot potato”.
I just want to say thank you for writing this. Your voice reaches so many people. Maybe, just maybe, we can prevent the past from happening.
Thank you for having the courage to write this blog post.
“The moment a leader tells you to fear refugees, minorities, or immigrants — you are looking at a tyrant.
Do not believe them. Do not reward their fear with your silence — or your vote.
Because fear divides. And division always leads to cruelty.”
Thank you for this thoughtful post. I agree wholeheartedly and yet have been at a loss of what to DO feels like it will have any impact. Your words have inspired me. Thank you.
Vischen, I asked ChatGPT about this and here was the reply:
Here’s the situation: The full original edition of The Diary of Anne Frank has not been banned in Florida schools. It’s still part of the state’s recommended reading lists and required Holocaust education curriculum. Instead, what was removed in one district was a specific graphic novel adaptation of Anne Frank’s diary. Here’s the breakdown:
⸻
What Was Removed — And What Wasn’t
** Removed:** At Vero Beach High School (Indian River County), a graphic novel adaptation titled Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation was pulled from the library. A local chapter of Moms for Liberty challenged it, arguing that it minimized the Holocaust and contained “not age appropriate” content, including imagery of Anne observing nude statues and asking a friend to expose themselves  .
** Still Available:** The original diary—The Diary of a Young Girl—remains available and continues to be taught as required Holocaust education in Florida schools  .
I appreciate your fact checking. I have learned that it is necessary and often verify information a few different ways because even my new best friend Chat gives answers on outdated info at times. There are two districts that removed the original diary, but thankfully as you pointed out, the state has not banned it. I’m 70 years old yet. I still remember the impact that book had on me. It was important than and even more important now. Here’s my chat response.
Here’s a clear breakdown of which Florida school districts have removed The Diary of Anne Frank (or its adaptations), contextualized with broader book-ban activity:
⸻
Where The Diary of Anne Frank Has Been Removed
1. Hillsborough County School District
• Removed the original diary from libraries—one among over 600 titles pulled after a state Board of Education mandate to remove so‑called “pornographic” content. ([The Guardian] )
2. Escambia County School District (Panhandle)
• Removed the original diary, embedded in a group of 1,600+ books held for review, including Holocaust-related texts like Schindler’s List. This removal is part of a broader ongoing legal challenge. ([JTA] )
3. Indian River County (Vero Beach High School)
• Removed the graphic novel adaptation—Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation—after objections to certain illustrated content (e.g., nudity). The original diary, however, remains available. ([AP News] )
⸻
Districts That Have Followed Suit
Several other districts—Columbia, Escambia, Orange, and Osceola—have also pulled titles associated with Anne Frank (and many others) amid a wave of preemptive removals to avoid state scrutiny. ([The Guardian] )
And some reports point to at least nine districts participating in this proactive removals effort. ([New York Post citing state officials] )
⸻
At a Glance: Status by District
District / County Removed Original Diary? Removed Graphic Version?
Hillsborough Yes —
Escambia Yes —
Indian River County No Yes (graphic adaptation only)
Columbia, Orange, Osceola, etc. Likely broader removals including Anne Frank-related titles —
⸻
Summary
Yes—the original “The Diary of Anne Frank” has been removed by at least two Florida school districts (Hillsborough and Escambia). In Indian River County, it’s the graphic adaptation that was removed, while the original remains. Several other districts have followed this trend by pulling Anne Frank–related or similarly themed works amid sweeping content reviews.
Very lazy commentary from Vishen. Doesn’t even have his facts straight. Sounds like he just couldn’t wait to rush to the keyboard crusading.
This is the first time since October 7th that I’ve heard you say something’s about Jews and I appreciate it, however, you are still missing critical information, first of all, why are you not mentioning anything about the hostages? You quote Anne about Jews being in chains and you fail to talk about the ones being right now being held in chains, tortured, for over 2 years, just for being Jews. You fail to mention that Hamas, terrible human beings, terrorists, are to blame first and foremost for all that is happening in Gaza, they are to blame for what Gazans are living. They are the animals. They, and their fundamentalists ideas, just like the Nazis. Now, I do know that politicians all over the world are terrible, most of the politicians are self serving horrible people that care more about themselves and their careers than the people they were elected to protect. But Israel as a nation, and as a people, are not to blame. The government have maybe not taken the best decisions since October 7th, but never forget who started and and how. With the influence you have and the position you hold in the personal development world, I wish you would acknowledge the atrocities of October 7th and I wish you would call for the release of all the hostages. Just as you are advocating for the gazans.
Thank you
Thank you, Vishen. As a Jew even i need to be reminded of how history is repeating itself yet once again, and how abhor-able it still is . I have to believe in the greater good of humanity, yet wonder why these atrocities still exist? Keep sending out your words of value. As i member of Mind Valley, i thank you for not only this article, but so many things you have given the world. Peace and blessings,
Dear Vishen, Thank you for another heart opening message! * After hearing your talk, on August 5th, at age 85, I opened a Shopify store dedicated to Earth Flag Swag: Beautiful useful products, from umbrellas to luggage, from clothing to clocks, and much more! * I’d love to explore how we might, together, amplify your/my/our Vision of Unity via the fabulous, unifying, Earth Flag, printed on swag. * Let’s bring this cosmic perspective/flag into our hearts, into our daily lives, into our homes, and out into the world – to help the world! – I’m contributing to this awareness by designing beautiful, functional, Earth Flag Swag. com <3
RAD! LOVE IT.
No, the original text of The Diary of Anne Frank has not been banned in Florida, but a graphic novel adaptation of the diary was removed from a school library in Vero Beach for not contributing to Holocaust education. Other books have been removed from shelves for review in Florida due to new legislation governing the teaching of sex and gender in schools, but The Diary of Anne Frank itself has not been banned.
Excellent! I am very disappointed with this article and the lies spread by VL. Gullible people will believe this and this is how hatred is spread.
Thank you for posting this. I am originally from Venezuela and came to the United States nine years ago, looking for freedom. Witnessing what is happening now feels like déjà vu. We come across people and try to explain to them the similarities; how a dictatorship happens without people noticing they are losing their liberties until it is too late, and you are trapped. As you wrote, unless we stop it, history repeats itself.
Thank you for showing this level of courage and leadership around this very sensitive topic. I’m shocked at how many organizations have abdicated their responsibility to thought leadership. The silence is terrifying.
Very well said Vishen, these words and reminders are needed now more than ever. Thank you for speaking up, it’s a universal message of peace, kindness and respect towards all, and I find it hard to understand how anyone can find fault with that. Thanks again 🙏
Praying for you, my friend. I hope you can find clarity amidst the noise that led to these words. Sending a big hug.
Vishen, I have been a subscriber and respectful follower of yours for years now. I applaud your taking a stance but this article so crucially has many holes, most importantly, in your mentioning Dehumanize – justify- destroy. You have literally nailed the Hamas charter against Jews for the 20 years of their running of the Gaza Strip. Children have been taught in schools to hate Jews and the complete destruction of Israel as being the goal. The torture, massacre and atrocities on October 7th where over 1200 Jews were dehumanised – justified – and destroyed have been omitted in your article. Why? The macabre parades that have accompanied the hostage release, including the bodies of Shiri Bibas and her two babies in their tiny coffins was watched by hoards of children. Brought out by their parents to watch the dead Jews being paraded. Every element of your article refers to the indoctrination and hatred of Jews cultivated by Hamas in the strip. This is not to take away from the failure of Israeli politicians, but it is questionable why you have left out the worst massacre of Jews in the history of Israel in your summing up.
Do you truly believe that is Israel stopped their campaign now that Hamas would live in peace with Israel? They cannot live in peace with their own people (they have destroyed the PA presence in Gaza years ago )
Hamas have said they would create another October 7th without question. This was very early on un the conflict.
There are scenes are videos of Jews on October 7th being captured and dragged through the streets of Gaza, with innocent Palestinians cheering and spitting on their lifeless bodies.
I really wonder why you not mentioned this even once in your article? I really hope you can answer and reassure so many of the comments here asking similar questions
You said What would Anne Frank think if she saw what was happening today in Gaza. But you haven’t asked what would Anne Frank think if she saw what happened on October 7th. Innocent families dragged out of their shelters and massacred.
If you have been to Israel you will know how the vast majority of Israelis want out of Gaza, but they want their safety too. This is not possible with Hamas in place
Brilliant comment Nina! Looks like the “mentor” is not very well versed in history and not even in basic human behaviour and phycology!
well said!!!!
I came here to say exactly this. Well done. I think this topic was in incredibly poor taste, it’s theme deeply problematic. The suggestion that Anne Frank would today be on the side of Islamic fundamentalists whose entire collective objective is the extermination of her entire community (sound familiar, Vishen?) fills me with horror. There are a million different ways to start a conversation about compassion, this was not one of them. It’s possible to advocate for humanitarian practices and ideals without taking sides in this egregious way.
I’d like to take a moment to ask us to acknowledge that the spread of Islamic fundamentalism is one of the biggest dangers humanity faces. The idea that these Islamists are waging supremely violent ideologically driven conflicts on their neighbors in multiple countries all around the ME and Africa as we sit here pontificating on whether or not a Jew would be pals with them and want us all to get along is the very definition of a luxury conversation.
It’s incredibly lazy to suggest that the world is the same as it was post WWII. Islamic fundamentalism is entrenched in the West, deeply funded, and – even though this might make us Mindvalley progressives uncomfortable – it IS spread through immigration and probably through some of the very technological platforms we entrepreneurs are building. Putting our heads in the sand and singing ‘Imagine’ isn’t going to save us.