Holocaust Theology Part 2
Tonight I will begin discussing the next piece from Fackenheim's The Jewish Return into History, "Jewish Faith and the Holocaust: A Fragment." This article originally appeared in Commentary in August 1968.
He begins by claiming three events challenged Jewish faith, the Emancipation, the Holocaust, and the establishment of the State of Israel. Emancipation is an external challenge that can be overcome, both religiously and intellectually. The State of Israel is an internal challenge, though a positive challenge. The Holocaust, he believes, is the ultimate challenge. Therefore, the majority of this essay will deal with the Holocaust, which he associates specifically with Auschwitz.
He calls for Jews to remember Auschwitz. The memory seems needed for Jewish survival. Fackenheim complained that Jews simply attempted to ignore the real terror and issues resulting from Auschwitz. He wants Jews to say that our suffering at Auschwitz was greater than the death of a German child during the fire bombing of Dresden. He wants Jews to claim that we were the only victims, excluding everybody else.
This does not mean he is ignoring the actual historical facts. He is merely attempting to, I think, force Jews to engage themselves in their own suffering. We need to feel that we were the true victims. We are the prototypes for the "inferior" races talked about by Hitler. Therefore, Fackenheim feels this is enough for Jews to claim they were the sole victims.
Fackenheim then says that there is no rationalizing what happened at Auschwitz. However, he seems to want Auschwitz to be our rallying cry. It is the event to force Jews to keep surviving. There is no answer to why the Holocaust occurred. Instead, we need to find a response to the Holocaust. His idea of response is that Jews continue to survive, whether culturally or religiously. He doesn't distinguish between the Orthodox or the liberal Jew. The ultimate showing that Hitler loses is that Jews continue to exist and acknowledge themselves as Jewish. How is this possible? Fackenheim claims there is a voice that speaks from Auschwitz (this is a theme of his throughout much of his writing on the Holocaust). This voice is heard by Jews and tells them to continue struggling to survive.
This is only a synopsis of part of his article. The rest will be completed tomorrow afternoon when I have a chance to finish reading it.
Tonight I will begin discussing the next piece from Fackenheim's The Jewish Return into History, "Jewish Faith and the Holocaust: A Fragment." This article originally appeared in Commentary in August 1968.
He begins by claiming three events challenged Jewish faith, the Emancipation, the Holocaust, and the establishment of the State of Israel. Emancipation is an external challenge that can be overcome, both religiously and intellectually. The State of Israel is an internal challenge, though a positive challenge. The Holocaust, he believes, is the ultimate challenge. Therefore, the majority of this essay will deal with the Holocaust, which he associates specifically with Auschwitz.
He calls for Jews to remember Auschwitz. The memory seems needed for Jewish survival. Fackenheim complained that Jews simply attempted to ignore the real terror and issues resulting from Auschwitz. He wants Jews to say that our suffering at Auschwitz was greater than the death of a German child during the fire bombing of Dresden. He wants Jews to claim that we were the only victims, excluding everybody else.
This does not mean he is ignoring the actual historical facts. He is merely attempting to, I think, force Jews to engage themselves in their own suffering. We need to feel that we were the true victims. We are the prototypes for the "inferior" races talked about by Hitler. Therefore, Fackenheim feels this is enough for Jews to claim they were the sole victims.
Fackenheim then says that there is no rationalizing what happened at Auschwitz. However, he seems to want Auschwitz to be our rallying cry. It is the event to force Jews to keep surviving. There is no answer to why the Holocaust occurred. Instead, we need to find a response to the Holocaust. His idea of response is that Jews continue to survive, whether culturally or religiously. He doesn't distinguish between the Orthodox or the liberal Jew. The ultimate showing that Hitler loses is that Jews continue to exist and acknowledge themselves as Jewish. How is this possible? Fackenheim claims there is a voice that speaks from Auschwitz (this is a theme of his throughout much of his writing on the Holocaust). This voice is heard by Jews and tells them to continue struggling to survive.
This is only a synopsis of part of his article. The rest will be completed tomorrow afternoon when I have a chance to finish reading it.
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