Review of Lesson Three (Beyond Never Again)

Thank you for joining us for the third lesson of Beyond Never Again.

In this lesson, we explored the value of Kidush Hashem, sanctifying G-d’s name. Some faiths, believing that this world is temporal and the future world is eternal, glorify martyrdom, for they see life as having relatively minimal value. But Judaism treasures the opportunity that is embedded in each moment of life. Kidush Hashem is thus first and foremost about life and sanctifying G-d’s name in this world.

Judaism does not believe in sacrificing life simply to defy an oppressor. Kidush Hashem is justified to avoid living the kind of life that profanes G-d’s name. This understanding is an important freamework which helped many Jews to make sense of the Holocaust.

During Holocaust, Jews were being killed without the option to save themselves through conversion. There was no escape. This had many ramifications. Those that perished in the Holocaust are seen as kedoshim (holy people) because they died because of their Jewishness.

We can express our own form of kidush by actualizing our innate connection with G-d, and standing strong against any influences that seek to disconnect us from our Jewish values.

Thanks for joining me to this week. I hope to see you next week for Lesson Four.