Judaism, the Holocaust, and Questions

The Holocaust brings up all of my questions, concerns, and doubts about God and about whether there is a purpose to life or not. Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most profound responses to the Holocaust and to the existential problems it presents I’ve come across. It is one of the greatest books written on the subject because it looks unflinchingly at the utter horror of Holocaust, yet it still remains hopeful despite the evidence that should drive one to pessimism. Our attitude is indeed our last freedom. I think we have a responsibility to ourselves and others to remain positive, hopeful, and optimistic about human nature and about the future–for if we don’t, then we are sure to repeat the mistakes of the past. This is not to say that we should be blindly hopeful. To the contrary, our hope should be based on our desire to do better, to be kinder, to create something more beneficial to leave to those who come after us.

To read more about my exploration of Judaism, the Holocaust, and my own search for God, visit My Search for God and Judaism.



Holocaust Memorial in Miami, Florida (photo source)