Just the word Holocaust is packed with fearful images of smoke, defenseless children, skeletal Jews and decimated communities. Where was God during all the devastation? For a moment, can we put our emotions and torment on hold to hear about our age-old responsibility of being the chosen nation? Rabbi Berkovits's clarity and gentle approach creates a powerful class on this almost untouchable subject.
Each year (this week on Thursday) we mourn the vast destruction of European Jewry. Rabbi Geller shares a few ideas and follows people who managed to hold onto their faith despite living through this man-made hell. How can we fathom God’s attribute of justice, and His face being so hidden? And how did the enlightenment movement affect the picture of Jewry at that time?
With broad brushstrokes, we hear the history of the Jews in Poland - a country whose rich Jewish culture is rivaled only by the golden ages of Babylon and Spain. Poland saw brilliant highlights such as the Volozhin Yeshivah, and the darkest lows of violent pogroms - ending in the Holocaust. A fascinating overview of what European Jewry saw and built, and who they have become today.
With broad brushstrokes, Rabbi Ken Spiro sketches the history of the Jews in Poland, a land who's rich Jewish presence is only rivaled by the earlier communities of Babylon and golden Spain. We saw brilliant highlights such as the Volozhin yehivah, and the dark lows of violent pogroms - and ended our turbulent stay with the black finale of the Holocaust. A must listen to gain an understanding of what we've seen, built, and gone through - and who we are today.
Many Jews continue to wonder 'How could God allow the Holocaust to happen to His Chosen people?' Rabbi Kahn asks the following question: 'Was the Holocaust a punishment because so many Jews were assimilating or because of the apathy that prevailed?' Explore some of the more plausible responses to this inexplicable event.
Can anyone ever explain the Holocaust? No, says Rabbi Kirzner – but looking at it through the eyes of the Torah and the historical trends that have occurred in cycles over and over, perhaps we can gain a deeper wisdom about it. His gentle handling of an emotionally loaded subject provides just that understanding, with frightening implications for our world today.
Why does this nation always end up being the scapegoat? Can it be that we are just in the wrong place at the wrong time? Rabbi Rob Shore presents a perspective of antisemism that you most likely never heard in school. A very powerful class that is intelligent in its approach and inspirational in its message.
It seems to us when we are in galus that we have to do everything just like the non-Jews. When the Jews in the Purim story went to Achashverosh's party, they did no aveiras, but they forgot who they were, which was even worse. Rabbi Weisz explains the nature of galus, assimilation, and holocaust, and how we can avoid the ensuing destruction. This in-depth look at the Purim story through the lens of anti-semitism and galus is fascinating. Don't miss it!
Perhaps the metaphor of Jews going åÔlike sheep to the slaughter' was just a big excuse that non-religious Zionists used to dismiss 2,000 years of Jewish history in order to embrace secular values? Rabbi Weinberg takes the stand that it is our responsibility to scrutinize this exaggerated canard rather than sheepishly accept the popular tale of a wimpy flock being led to its own destruction.
Although we can never fully understand why the Holocaust happened, Rav Weinberg's discussion on suffering, punishment and teshuva in relation to the Churban Bayis Sheini shows the deeper underlying causes for large-scale tragedies. This talk is an important reminder of how history repeats itself.