Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Thoughts on Holocaust and Israel

Today is my son's second day in Poland. Today he and his classmates went to the Umschlagplatz, the gathering place from which the Jews were shipped to Treblinka and their deaths, and then on to Treblinka as they followed the path of the trains. I cannot help but wonder how will this impact him? What emotions will be evoked? What discussions will they have?

At the same time, I was in my Jewish Thought class discussing how to we reconcile Israel and the Holocaust - the theologies, the philosophies, its role in our history - past and future. What is the "proper" place of Holocaust in the Jewish History and how does it stand in relation to Israel? Especially for these generations of young people who have grown up with the reality of a State of Israel their entire lives.  As the survivors of the Shoah are dying, these children will be the last who will ever meet a survivor in person - the last who will be able to personalize the experience in a very unique way. 

Where do we go from here?

What is my role as a Rabbah in this conversation?

More thoughts to follow….