This is not a course about the past...

The Holocaust, more than any other event in recent history, forces us to grapple with the existence of evil and suffering. It challenges us to find faith and optimism in the face of devastation and despair. And it humbles us as we encounter heroes of the spirit who fought for truth and decency in the darkest of times.

As Jews living in the 21st century, we can sometimes feel detached from the Holocaust and prefer to focus on a bright future than dwell on past atrocities. Why focus on tragedy when there is so much positivity to celebrate?

But what is it deterring us from focusing on issues of suffering? Are we too disturbed by questions of injustice, of pain, of natural disasters, of the unfairness of certain individuals dominating and terrorizing the lives of others? Are we afraid to face reality? Is it because we have deep-rooted questions that remain unanswered?

Join the Chabad Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) for a six-week course entitled “Beyond Never Again: How the Holocaust Speaks to Us Today.” It is NOT a course about history, genocide, or the many horrors and atrocities of the Holocaust. It is an uplifting course about optimism, and maintaining hope through difficult times. It is a course about discovery, about uncovering the transcendent Jewish spirit that the Nazis, try as they did, were unable to break. It is a course full of uplifting positivity and optimism for the contemporary-minded Jew.

Life inevitably presents us with real challenges, some of which may seem insurmountable. In the course, we will explore the ways in which the Holocaust continues to affect our daily life interactions and colors what it means to live as Jews today. Beyond Never Again, will look beyond the Holocaust, to create an atmosphere in which our deepest moral questions can be raised without fear and in real hope of finding meaningful responses.

The course is starting next week Tuesday, April 27 at the Chabad Torah Centre, so I encourage you to register today. Please visit www.ChabadWinnipeg.org/JLI for more information.

See you there!