This session was taken up with the Holocaust. We watched the chapter "Genocide" from the British series "The World at War" and for a consideration of the possibility of reconciliation I played a short piece from NPR's Sunday Morning Edition.  This was a story about the 50th anniversary of the treaty between Germany and France and the visit to Goettingen by Barbara, a celebrated French Jewish singer. She hid during the war and survived. She accepted an invitation to visit Goettingen with much trepidation. But the warm reception and her realization that a new generation of German's was growing up touched her. She wrote a song about Goettingen that became a huge best-seller in both France and Germany.
     I think the kids were stunned by the movie. There was silence after it ended and they had no enthusiasm to go immediately for bagels (which is what they usually want to do after the first hour of class). So we talked a bit about the movie and I played the NPR segment. It was hard to get a discussion going. I provided some details about the decision to exterminate the Jews and tried to convey to them that the Final Solution was not just another pogrom, it was something new and horrible. It was the first time that a definition of being a Jew turned on blood, racial inheritance that could not be altered by any personal actions or choices. I also told them that a number of important Nazis were tried and executed for war crimes by the Allies. When we turned to a discussion of reconciliation and healing, again discussion was difficult. No one, I think, had much interest in forgiveness, which is perfectly understandable. On the other hand I think some may have found it difficult to express themselves on this profound issue. I brought up the analogy of South Africa once Nelson Mandela came to power, but they didn't know much about it.
     I don't want to spend that much time on the Holocaust. I think it has been enormously over emphasized, as if the Jews had only a twelve year history and we were defined by the Nazi attempt to exterminate us. We will return to some of this when we get to the history of modern Israel for the Holocaust plays a crucial role in the international decision to allow a Jewish state. The Holocaust is, in my opinion, something that has to percolate for there to be understand.
     Next week we'll return to the preparations for the B'nai Mitzvah celebration.