God, Faith & Identity from the Ashes

A Powerful, Life-Affirming New Perspective on the HolocaustAlmost ninety children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors-theologians, scholars, spiritual leaders, authors, artists, political and community leaders and media personalities-from sixteen countries on six continents reflect on how the memories transmitted to them have affected their lives. Profoundly personal stories explore faith, identity and legacy in the aftermath of the Holocaust as well as our role in ensuring that future genocides and similar atrocities never happen again.There have been many books and studies about children of Holocaust survivors-the so-called second and third generations-with a psycho-social focus. This book is different. It is intended to reflect what they believe, who they are and how that informs what they have done and are doing with their lives.From major religious or intellectual explorations to shorter commentaries on experiences, quandaries and cultural, political and personal affirmations, almost ninety contributors from sixteen countries respond to this question: how have your parents' and grandparents' experiences and examples helped shape your identity and your attitudes toward God, faith, Judaism, the Jewish people and the world as a whole?For people of all faiths and backgrounds, these powerful and deeply moving statements will have a profound effect on the way our and future generations understand and shape their understanding of the Holocaust.Praise from Pope Francis for Menachem Rosensaft's essay reconciling God's presence with the horrors of the Holocaust:'When you, with humility, are telling us where God was in that moment, I felt within me that you had transcended all possible explanations and that, after a long pilgrimage-sometimes sad, tedious or dull-you came to discover a certain logic and it is from there that you were speaking to us; the logic of First Kings 19:12, the logic of that 'gentle breeze' (I know that it is a very poor translation of the rich Hebrew expression) that constitutes the only possible hermeneutic interpretation.'Thank you from my heart. And, please, do not forget to pray for me. May the Lord bless you.'-His Holiness Pope FrancisContrubutors:Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella of the Supreme Court of CanadaHistorian Ilya Altman, cofounder and cochairman, Russian Research and Educational Holocaust Center, MoscowNew York Times reporter and author Joseph Berger, New YorkHistorian Eleonora Bergman, former director, Jewish Historical Institute, WarsawVivian Glaser Bernstein, former cochief, Group Programmes Unit, United Nations Department of Public Information, New YorkMichael Brenner, professor of Jewish history and culture, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich; chair in Israel studies, American University, Washington, DCNovelist and poet Lily Brett, winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize Award, New YorkNew York Times deputy national news editor and former Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner, New YorkStephanie Butnick, associate editor, Tablet Magazine, New YorkRabbi Chaim Zev Citron, Ahavas Yisroel Synagogue and Yeshiva Ohr Elchonon Chabad, Los AngelesDr. Stephen L. Comite, assistant clinical professor of dermatology, Mount Sinai Hospital, New YorkElaine Culbertson, director of a program taking American high school teachers to study Holocaust sites, New YorkFormer Israeli Minister of Internal Security and Shin Bet director Avi Dichter, IsraelLawrence S. Elbaum, attorney, New YorkAlexis Fishman, Australian actor and singerShimon Koffler Fogel, CEO, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, OttawaDr. Eva Fogelman, psychologist and author, New YorkAssociate Judge Karen 'Chaya' Friedman of the Circuit Court of MarylandNatalie Friedman, dean of studies and senior class dean, Barnard College, New YorkMichael W. Grunberger, director of collections, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DCDavid Harris, executive director, American Jewish Committee, New YorkAuthor Eva Hoffman, recipient of the Jean Stein Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, LondonRabbi Abie Ingber, executive director, Center for Interfaith Community Engagement, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OHJosef Joffe, editor-publisher, Die Zeit, GermanyRabbi Lody B. van de Kamp, author; former member of the Chief Rabbinate of Holland and the Conference of European Rabbis, HollandRabbi Lilly Kaufman, Torah Fund director, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, New YorkFilmmaker Aviva Kempner, Washington, DCCardiologist Dr. David N. Kenigsberg, Plantation, FLAuthor and Shalom Hartman Institute fellow Yossi Klein Halevi, IsraelAttorney Faina Kukliansky, chairperson, Jewish Community of Lithuania, VilniusRabbi Benny Lau, Ramban Synagogue, JerusalemAmichai Lau-Lavie, founding director, Storahtelling, Israel/New YorkPhilanthropist Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer, PhiladelphiaHariete Levy, insurance actuary, ParisAnnette Levy-Willard, journalist and author, ParisRabbi Mordechai Liebling, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, PhiladelphiaKnesset member Rabbi Dov Lipman, IsraelRabbi Michael Marmur, provost, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, JerusalemInternational banker Julius Meinl, president, Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, PragueKnesset member and former journalist Merav Michaeli, IsraelThe Right Honourable David Miliband, former foreign secretary, United Kingdom; president, International Rescue Committee, New YorkTali Nates, director, Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre, South AfricaEric Nelson, professor of government, Harvard UniversityEddy Neumann, esq., Sydney, AustraliaMathew S. Nosanchuk, Director for Outreach, National Security Council, the White House, Washington, DCArtist and author Aliza Olmert, JerusalemCouples therapist Esther Perel, New YorkSylvia Posner, administrative executive to the Board of Governors, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New YorkRabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president, New York Board of RabbisDr. Richard Prasquier, past president, Conseil Representatif des Institutions Juives de France (Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions), ParisRichard Primus, professor of law, University of Michigan Law SchoolProfessor Shulamit Reinharz, director, the Women's Studies Research Center and the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute, Brandeis University, MAChaim Reiss, CFO, World Jewish CongressJochi (Jochevet) Ritz-Olewski, former vice dean of academic studies, The Open University of IsraelMoshe Ronen, vice president, World Jewish Congress; former president, Canadian Jewish Congress, TorontoNovelist and Fordham University law professor Thane Rosenbaum, New YorkRabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg, Congregation Beth-El, Edison, NJArt historian and museum director Jean Bloch Rosensaft, New YorkMenachem Z. Rosensaft, general counsel, World Jewish Congress and professor of law, New YorkHannah Rosenthal, former U.S. State Department special envoy to monitor and combat anti-Semitism, WisconsinRabbi Judith Schindler, Temple Beth El, Charlotte, NCClarence Schwab, equity investor, New YorkCantor Azi Schwartz, Park Avenue Synagogue, New YorkGhita Schwarz, senior attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights, New YorkPsychologist Dr. David Senesh, Tel AvivFlorence Shapiro, former mayor, Plano, Texas, and former state senator, TexasRabbi Kinneret Shiryon, Kehillat YOZMA, Modi'in, IsraelDavid Silberklang, senior historian,Yad Vashem, IsraelDocumentary film maker and author Andre Singer, LondonPeter Singer, professor of bioethics, Princeton UniversityRobert Singer, CEO and executive vice president, World Jewish CongressPsychologist Dr. Yaffa Singer, Tel AvivSam Sokol, reporter, The Jerusalem Post, IsraelPhilanthropist Alexander Soros, New YorkRabbi Elie Kaplan Spitz, Congregation B'nai Israel, Tustin, CAMichael Ashley Stein, executive director, Harvard Law School Project on DisabilityRabbi Kenneth A. Stern, Congregation Gesher Shalom, Fort Lee, NJMaram Stern, associate CEO for diplomacy, World Jewish Congress, BrusselsCarol Kahn Strauss, international director, Leo Baeck Institute, New YorkAviva Tal, lecturer in Yiddish literature, Bar Ilan University, IsraelProfessor Katrin Tenenbaum, scholar on modern Jewish culture and philosophical thought, University of RomeDr. Mark L. Tykocinski, dean, Jefferson Medical College, PhiladelphiaRabbi Moshe Waldoks, Temple Beth Zion, Brookline, MAPsychologist Diana Wang, president, Generaciones de la Shoa en Argentina, Buenos AiresAuthor Ilana Weiser-Senesh, Tel AvivJeffrey S. Wiesenfeld, former senior aide to New York Governor George Pataki and U.S. Senator Alfonse D'AmatoU.S. Senator Ron Wyden, OregonSociologist Tali Zelkowicz, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles