Lets Get our Priorities Straight
This past Monday was Yom HaShoah, a day meant to commemorate the Holocaust and the loss of six million Jewish lives.
It was also a day that I didnt observe in any way, shape, or form, and for good reason.
I dont know if those who invented Yom HaShoah are aware of this, but there are four fast days in the Jewish calander designated to comemorate disasters that happened to the Jewish people (in addition to Yom Kippur, plus two fast days meant to comemorate disasters that almost happened). Aside from that, Tisha B'Av (one of the previously mentioned fast days) is a day that is meant to be a one size fits all day of disaster considering all the bad things that happened on that day including the distruction of the first and second temples, the burning of the Talmud in Paris, the expulsion from Spain, and the assasination of the ArchDuke Ferdinand (the event that caused WWI, WWII, and the Holocaust).
The point that Im trying to make, is that we Jews have enough days of mourning in our calender and we dont need more. Furthermore, I have noticed a trend amongst Jews to harp on the Holocaust until no one wants to hear anymore about it, as if the only thing important about Judaism is the fact that we keep getting pursecuted.
Im not saying that these events shouldnt be commemorated. I am merely sayng that Jews need to stop identifying themselves by the Holocaust.
Judaism is not a religion of death. When we drink, we say L'Chaim (to life), not L'Mavet (to death). Every Jew needs to declare that he identifies himself as a Jew and is proud to be a Jew because he is a reprisentative of God, and not because his great-grandfather went to the gas chambers.
It was also a day that I didnt observe in any way, shape, or form, and for good reason.
I dont know if those who invented Yom HaShoah are aware of this, but there are four fast days in the Jewish calander designated to comemorate disasters that happened to the Jewish people (in addition to Yom Kippur, plus two fast days meant to comemorate disasters that almost happened). Aside from that, Tisha B'Av (one of the previously mentioned fast days) is a day that is meant to be a one size fits all day of disaster considering all the bad things that happened on that day including the distruction of the first and second temples, the burning of the Talmud in Paris, the expulsion from Spain, and the assasination of the ArchDuke Ferdinand (the event that caused WWI, WWII, and the Holocaust).
The point that Im trying to make, is that we Jews have enough days of mourning in our calender and we dont need more. Furthermore, I have noticed a trend amongst Jews to harp on the Holocaust until no one wants to hear anymore about it, as if the only thing important about Judaism is the fact that we keep getting pursecuted.
Im not saying that these events shouldnt be commemorated. I am merely sayng that Jews need to stop identifying themselves by the Holocaust.
Judaism is not a religion of death. When we drink, we say L'Chaim (to life), not L'Mavet (to death). Every Jew needs to declare that he identifies himself as a Jew and is proud to be a Jew because he is a reprisentative of God, and not because his great-grandfather went to the gas chambers.
posted by Dovid Mordachai at 2:37 PM
2 Comments:
A lot of our holidays, like Channukah, aren't religious, but historical, national, and cultural in nature. I'd say that the Holocaust has had at least as much an effect on the Jewish people as any of our other days of suffering.
I agree that in Judiasm there are enough days to remember suffering. And Amen, Judiasm is not a religion of death but of life. I am a Christian Zionist and see that anytime Ha Shem tells the children of Israel to remember certain days. Especially in weakness the whole world sees the strength of the God of Israel.
Post a Comment
<< Home