For many years Jewish thinkers and educators have been attempting to take the tragic and mind numbing events of the Shoah and to use them within an educational context. Debates began on whether there were “lessons” that could be passed on. A number of general approaches began to develop.
APPROACH – We want in this program to explore the question from a different point of view, an approach which is very rarely used in a systematic sense at least within the Jewish world. The emphasis here is on personal human and Jewish values. Learning about the Shoah per se and in addition to the development of a greater Jewish consciousness and identity, the individual who confronts aspects of the Shoah as a learning experience two full generations after the events, must examine her or his personal response to the world around themselves.
Given the context of The 9 days of We, we want to introduce some sessions related to this Shoah educative approach and we found relevant to speak about one central jewish value which is the Community one.
We think that the Community value and behaviour during the Shoah can teach a lot about the challenges and ways of surviving that a community needs today.
We believe that the masorti movement can get together an approach this difficult issue by strengthening the feeling of acting together as a community regardless of the situation around us.
INTRODUCTORY TIMELINE – Shoah + buildup