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    COURSE OVERVIEW
SUMMARY OF COURSE THEMES

Lesson 1:
Wrestling With G-d
Why do evil people prosper? Why does G-d permit the suffering of the innocent? Moses, Jeremiah and Job asked these questions, and we still grapple with them today. A non-believer may consider world events as random, requiring no explanation, but the believer is forced to struggle with these questions. Judaism believes in a benevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient G-d, and that ultimately, there will be a time when all suffering ceases. Thus, there is no easy answer to explain the Holocaust, nor do we seek
one. For if we were to explain suffering, we might accept it. Our response to global suffering must be to decry its existence and fight for its eradication.

Lesson 2:
The Voice of Your Brother’s Blood Cries Out
We cannot hear the universal message of the Holocaust unless we
appreciate the particulars of its evils. While people of many nationalities
suffered during the war, we must recognize that the
Holocaust was disproportionately a war against the Jews. Each of
the six million Jews who perished has a story that deserves to be
told. Their stories remind us that every lost life represents the
loss of an entire world.

Lesson 3:
In Their Deaths They Were Not Parted
Judaism affirms the value of life and forbids suicide. And yet the
mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem (Sanctification of G-d’s Name)
involves the willingness to face death under certain circumstances.
How are these two values reconciled? In this class, we
take a historical view of both individual and collective martyrdom,
considering examples like King Saul and Rabbi Akiva, the
martyrs of the Crusades and those who perished in the Holocaust.
We will explore the religious context within which martyrdom
takes place and consider how these ideals impact our
modern world.

Lesson 4:
Out of the Depths I Call To You
While we must never be complacent with regard to the suffering of
others, we can learn to find meaning in the face of our personal
challenges. Life’s purpose unfolds on many levels, and it is impossible
to know the true impact of a given event. While we cannot always
know why something happens, by fostering our appreciation
that G-d is intimately involved with the universe, we can learn to
use every experience as a catalyst for positive transformation. Faith
is not a crutch for the weak, but a scaffold for life constructed with
inner strength. Trust in G-d is not born of simplistic denial of
harsh reality, but of profound humility in the presence of the divine
plan.

Lesson 5:
A Tree of Life to Those Who Cling To It
Halacha ( Jewish Torah Law) serves as a guide for life, even in the
most trying of times. In this class, we will examine actual halachic
advice sought during the Holocaust. The responses have much to
teach us about Jewish values, but the more astonishing fact is that
these questions were asked at all. Some of these questions reveal
the sacrifice to which Jews were willing to go in order to observe
mitzvoth. Some reveal the moral courage of Jews who debated
whether they were permitted to save their own lives at the expense
of others. All are testament to an inner integrity and strength that
transcended the horrors of that time.

Lesson 6:
When Night Will Shine Like Day
When examining human behavior in light of the Holocaust, we are
presented with a number of paradoxes. The most culturally and scientifically
advanced society on earth used their sophistication to create
the most efficient genocidal machine the world has ever known.
And many of the righteous gentiles who sacrificed their own safety
and well-being were poor, uneducated, and provincial in their
world-view. What can we expect of humanity after the Holocaust?
Can we prevent human progress from falling prey to moral bankruptcy?
How can we retain faith in the future of the universe—and
what we can we do to ensure a brighter tomorrow?

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