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Judaism Summary Notes

Environmental Ethics:
Syllabus Dot Points:
- Students learn about Environmental Ethics
- Students learn to describe and explain Jewish environmental ethics

• Jewish Environmental Ethics focuses on applying 5 central ethical teachings on various


environmental issues which are pervasive to the world

1. L’ovolah ul’shomrah

Definition:
Humanity is appointed by God as stewards of his creation. Therefore, it is important that they
are to serve and protect the Earth.

Source:
Deuteronomy 5:14-16 - "the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall perform
no labor…on the land that the Lord, your God, is giving you"

Issue: Use of Fossil Fuels


- Humanities use of Fossil Fuels destroy the environment through the pollution of the
environment and the destruction to ecosystems, thereby negating serving and protecting
the Earth
- Jewish environmental ethics promotes renewable alternatives which don’t harm the
environment and can be sustained in the longterm

Institutions/Organisations which uphold Ethical Teaching: The Coalition on the Environment


and Jewish Life (COEJL)
- This organisation engages in activism and education programs about issues negatively
affecting the environment
- This strengthens humanities link to stewardship in order to protect the Earth

2. Bal Taschit

Definition:
Defined as “Do not Destroy”. It sums up how humanity must not unnecessarily destroy and
waste the natural resources on Earth

Source:
Tanakh:
Deuteronomy 20:19 - "you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them"

Talmud:
Shabbath 67b – Those who burn more fuel than necessary violate the mandate
- The mandate refers to the law which prohibits waste

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- The law can be extended to mandating energy efficiency for Jews

Issue: Deforestation
- Deforestation threatens the environment and unnecessarily destroys natural resources
due to human greed, thereby negating Bal Taschit
- To combat this, it is essential that Jews are mindful about the sustainability of their
purchases (e.g. buying products made of recycled materials) in order to uphold Bal
Taschit

Institutions/Organisations which uphold Ethical Teaching: B’Nai B’Rith Environment Group


- An environmental organisation dedicated to the education of Jewish communities across
Australia
- They are involved in a number of environmental ventures such as tree planting programs
and the promotion of environmental education in Jewish schools
- This both directly and indirectly contributes to the prevention of the destruction of the
environment through actions such as deforestation

3. Tikkun Olam

Definition:
Defined as “Repair the World”. It emphasises the idea that Jews should act constructively and
beneficially which contributes to the eradication of the worlds issues. In relation to
Environmental ethics, it pushes Jews to make an effort to work for the maintenance of the
environment and their physical surroundings.

Source
Mirdash:
Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 1 - "See to it that you do not spoil and destroy My World; for if you do
there will be no one else to repair it"

Issue: Recycling and Waste Disposal


- Tikkun Olam and its associated sources influences Jews to be mindful and conscious
about their environmental contribution
- This is enforced in the influence the teaching has to enforce good recycling practices and
proper waste disposal systems
- This in turn, upholds Tikkun Olam as the proper disposal of waste ensures that the
world isn’t polluted thereby restoring the world

Institutions/Organisations which uphold Ethical Teaching: The Noah Project


- A UK based environmental organisation
- They are committed to spreading awareness of environmental issues such as waste and
pollution
- This is done through community education and practical activist action
- This ensures that the public has the knowledge about the detriment of improper waste
practices
- This influences them to partake in recycling initatives and proper waste practices which
helps in preventing pollution and contributes to the repairment of the world

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4. Tza’ar ba’ake hayyim

Definition:
Defined as the right treatment of Animals. It outlines how animals have to be treated with
respect and be used wisely. Animals are viewed as God-given resources as they provide food for
humanity.

Source
Tankah:
Proverbs 12:10 - "A righteous man has regard for his animals"

Talmud:
Berachot 40a - "A man must not sit down to his own meal before he has fed his animals"

Issue: Animal Cruelty and the extinction of species


- Animal cruelty defies the proper treatment of animals, improper care of animals can also
lead to their extinction
- Jews must work against animal cruelty to uphold the ethical teaching

Institutions/Organisations which uphold Ethical Teaching: The three variants


Orthodox:
- Provides the least impact on the issues surrounding improper treatment of animals
- Provides rules of Kosher foods and the correct slaughter of animals
- Ensures that Jews don’t partake in practices which result in the improper treatment of
animals
- However, it doesn’t make an active attempt to prevent animal cruelty and extinction

Conservative:
- Influences adherents to engage in wider social discussion issues such as animal cruelty
and extinction
- This is done through the synagogue’s dedication to such issues

Reform:
- Like the conservative variant, they too engage in wider social discussion issues such as
animal cruelty and extinction to spread awareness
- There is also freedom for individual expression and they are able to adhere to their own
interpretation of environmental ethics (e.g. one is able to choose if they want to eat
Kosher, non-Kosher or vegetarian)

5. Laws of Shemitah

Definition:
Defined as the Sabbatical Year. The Laws of Shemitah promotes the idea that it is necessary to
give the environment time to replenish and refresh itself. They are to observe seven-year cycles,
where every seven years, they are to rotate the activity that occurs on a particular section of land.

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During the sabbatical year, Jews are to desist from any agricultural activity, they also must
relinquish personal ownership of their land.

Source:
Tanakh:
Leviticus 25:4 - "In the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest, a Sabbath to the Lord"
- This quote links to preserving the Earth and making an effort to make it more fertile

Leviticus 25:24 - "You must provide for the redemption of the land"

Issue: Erosion and soil degradation


- Erosion and soil degradation is the opposite of what is promoted by the Laws of
Shemitah which enforces the replenishing of the environment.
- It is important that Jewish adherents treat the land with care in order to reduce the
effects of erosion and soil degradation
- This aligns itself with the ethical teaching as Jews make an active attempt to work toward
the relinquishing of the environment

Institutions/Organisations which uphold Ethical Teaching: Jewish National Fund


- An organisation which dedicated itself to the rehabilitation of the land of Israel
- This is done through replenishing soil and the planting of 250 million trees over the last
century
- This enforces the Laws of Shemitah as it reverses soil degradation and works toward
replenishing the land

Pikauch Nefesh – The Jewish Value of Saving a Life


• Holds the belief that human life comes first
• Pikauch Nefesh stems from Maimonidies interpretation of Leviticus 18:5

Leviticus 18:5 - You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live.”
• Emphasis placed on “which man shall live”
• If ones life’s is in danger, most laws obstructing ones potential to live overturned
• Therefore, almost every Mitzvah can be overruled in order to save a human life
• Pikauch Nefesh is designed to enable humans to live in the image of God to the fullest
extent

Cases in which Pikauch Nefesh isn’t given priority


- Killing another human
- Adultery
- Idolatry

Link to environmental ethics:


Humans are the stewards of the Earth and they have the responsibility to extend Pikauch
Nefesh to protect all living things
Humans have a responsibility to protect the environment for the next generation to
ensure the longevity of the human race

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It is the responsibility of the present humans to protect the Earth and use only what
is necessary this ensures future generations will have the adequate resources for
their survival

Sources of Pikauch Nefesh:


Talmud – provides justification about the instances in which Jewish laws can be broken to save a
life. It also reaffirms the three cases in which Jewish law cannot be broken and one has to be a
martyr rather than violating the laws

Death and Mourning


Syllabus Dot Points:
- Students learn about the significant practice of Death and Mourning
- Students learn to describe the significant practice of Death and Mourning
- Students learn to demonstrate how this practice expresses the beliefs of Judaism
- Students learn to analyse the significance of this practice for both the individual and
Jewish community

The Practice

Death

The Practice of Death and Mourning


• Jewish practices that relate to death and mourning have two main purposes to show
respect for the dead (kavod ha-met) and to give comfort to the family and friends who
mourn (nihum avelim)

The Body is Never Alone


• As a mark of love and respect, at least one person sits with the body at all times until the
burial these people are known as the Shomerim
• The Shomerim are not permitted to drink while in the same room of the dead as the
dead are unable to eat or drink
• The Shomerim often read psalms when they are with the body
• Members of the Shomerim must also be a voluntary action

Preparing and Caring for the Body


• The people who look after the body and prepare it for burial are volunteers and are
known as the Chevra Kadisha
• The Chevra Kadisha is an organisation whose task is to ensure that the proper traditions
are carried out and the honour of the deceased is protected
• In reform and conservative societies, it is not necessary that these procedures are carried
out by the Chevra Kadisha
• The Chevra Kadisha will wash the body in accordance to the tradition known as
TAHARA (purification)
• The Body will lie with their feet facing the door, they are washed with warm water as
scripture passages are read

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• Modesty dictates that males are to prepare male bodies and females are to prepare female
bodies
• These bodies are wrapped in a linen shawl, however, males are allowed to be wrapped in
a prayer shawl

The Body must Remain Whole


• Unless it may save a life (organ donation) or is required by law (autopsy) the cutting
of a body is not permitted
• If a person body is subjected to physical trauma upon death, it is the responsibility of the
burial society to collect as much of the body material to ensure it can be buried as whole

Spiritually Impure
• The body is considered to be spiritually impure those in contact with the body are
expected to wash their hands to remove the impurity

Funeral Laws
• Funerals are to take place as soon as possible
• Funerals cannot occur on the Sabbath, the Day of Atonement or the first or last day of
festivals
• Some flexibility is allowed in these funeral laws in order to comply with civil procedures

Burial Practices
• Every Jew is buried in a plain pine coffin ensures there is no differentiation between
rich and poor as every Jew has equal value in the eyes of God
• A service will take place in the Chevra Kadisha prayer hall known as an Ohel
• Eulogies by family members and close friends are allowed to take place during the
service
• Following the service, the body is carried to the grave site with honoured friends
• The coffin is then lowered into the ground
• The coffin is required to have holes drilled into it to ensure that the Earth can come in
contact with the body

Funeral Service
• The actual funeral service takes place at the grave site

Aspects of the funeral service include:


- The reading of the Kaddish (Mourners Prayer) in Aramaic
- Singing of Psalm 23 in Hebrew
- The eulogy, a speech by the Rabbi where he only describes the good qualities of the
deceased

• Following the funeral service, those present will take part in filling the grave
• People are required to wash their hands after the funeral before entering their homes

Mourning
• There are four main stages of death in Jewish mourning
• These stages decrease in intensity

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• The purpose of these stages is to allow for the full expression of grief so the mourner is
able to gradually return to a normal life

1. Death to burial – Anuit


2. Seven days following the burial – Shivah
3. Thirty days of restricted activities – Shloshim
4. Parental mourning for one year – Avelut

• When a close relative or friend of the deceased hears about their death, they will
immediately tear a piece of their clothing Keriyah
• The mourners will recite a mourners prayer
• Judaism specifies seven immediate family members who are expected to observe the
mourning period Parents, children, siblings and spouse
Anuit – Death to Burial
• The family is left alone during this period – this is done so they can fully express their
grief
• Visits to express condolence aren’t made
• The funeral happens during the Anuit period

Se’udat Havra’ah
- Called the meal of condolence
- Prepared following the burial
- Consists of bread and eggs – symbol of life

Shivah – Seven Days Following the Burial

Rules for Mourners:


- Mourners have to sit on low stools instead of chairs
- Mourners aren’t to groom themselves (e.g. wear cosmetics, shave or change clothes) –
mourners have to wear the same clothes they wore at their funeral
- Mourners cannot partake in activities that gives them pleasure (e.g. sex, bathe)
- The mirrors of the house are to be covered and the windows are to be left open

• Prayer services are to be held where Shivah is occurring with friends, neighbours and
relatives – this conglomerate makes up the minyan
• The Sabbath day occurs during the Shivah but is not counted as a day of mourning

Shloshim – Thirty Days of Restricted Activities

Rules for Mourners:


- Cannot attend parties or celebrations
- Cannot cut their hair
- Cannot listen to music

Avelut – Parental Mourning for One Year


• This period is only observed for parents and occurs one year after the Burial
• Parents are not permitted to attend parties, celebrations or any event of that nature

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• The son of the deceased is to recite the mourners kaddish (a prayer that praises God
and expresses a yearning for the establishment of God’s kingdom on Earth) every day
for 11 months following the burial – recited for 11 months instead of the full 12 as the
soul needs purifying before it can get to heaven and it should not need the help of a
mourner for the full 12 months to reach heaven
• Following the avelut the family is not permitted to continue mourning – four stages of
mourning allow for the full expression meaning it is not necessary after these periods are
complete

Beliefs
• The mourning process is an expression of intrinsic Jewish beliefs

There are four central beliefs expressed during the mourning period:
- Human beings are created in the image of God
- God has established a covenant with humans
- God has a plan
- Belief in the Afterlife

Human beings are created in the image of God


Meaning of Belief:
- The body is to be respected during life and after death
- The body is created by God and will return to God after death
- The dead is like a damaged Torah, it no longer has use but still should be treated with
respect

Examples of Belief from Death and Mourning practices


Leviyah
Shows the respect for the dead body as there is a commitment to not abandon it
The Chevra Kadisha – Using Tahara
Demonstrates care for the body as it is treated with physical and spiritual care

The Covenant with God


Meaning of Belief
- The expression of love toward God is present in both life and death
- The period leading up to death is viewed as the time spent preparing to meet God

Examples of Belief from Death and Mourning practices


Reciting the Kaddish during mourning
Affirms one faith in God as they are willing to show praise and affection to God, even in
times of despair
Establishes the strength of the covenant

Gods Plan
Meaning of Belief
- Life is part of God’s plan and therefore the inevitable death must also be part of his plan
- The acceptance of death is viewed as an individual and communal affirmation of trust in
God

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Examples of Belief from Death and Mourning practices
The resistance of efforts to prolong one’s life
Demonstrates the lack of determination to interfere with God’s plan
The strict adherence to the sequence of the procedures
Demonstrates the commitment to perform the death and mourning ritual in the way
God best sees fit
The eventual ending of the Mourning period
Demonstrates that life eventually normalises for mourners – Gods plan doesn’t end
Prayers (e.g. Mourners Kaddish)
Reaffirm faith in God and consequently faith in God’s plan

Belief in the Afterlife


Meaning of Belief
- Jewish people believe that after they die, their soul (their consciousness) will continue to
live in a spiritual realm with God
- The purpose of mourning is not to emphasise one’s sadness, it is to support an
understanding in the afterlife

Examples of Belief from Death and Mourning Practices


The funeral is held as soon as possible
Allows for the soul to be released into the afterlife
The body remains whole
Allows for the body to be reborn into the afterlife in the same form it was released into
the world
Prayers and rituals completed during the mourning period
Illustrates ones understanding and allowance in releasing the deceased to God
The fulfilling of traditions and carrying out the necessary requirements of the ritual
These aspects ensure God’s wishes are fulfilled and therefore strengthens ones
connection with God – this allows them to focus on the spiritual soul rather than the
physical body

Significance for Individual and Community

Individual:
It forces the individual to ask the questions of life
Death and Mourning places an individual in the environment where they can
contemplate on the various aspects of life and its abstract meaning
When individuals are bombarded with the day-to-day decisions of ‘normal life’, they
are distracted from being able to assess and ponder the questions of life – this
mourning period gives them the time and space where they are forced to ask the
questions of life

It influences individuals to evaluate the place of God in their own lives


The difficulty and sadness of loss in death takes individuals away from their comfort
zones. One is forced to ‘let go’ and trust in the will of God. The act of letting go in the
life of the deceased means that only the spirit and God remains.
These notions influence the individual to focus on spiritual life after death and the
relationship God has with it. It allows individuals to evaluate the impact God has on
the individual’s life.

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Adherents take comfort in fulfilling the obligations and traditions of their religion
They may take comfort in completing their duties as a Jewish adherent during the
mourning period
It relieves the stress associated with the mourning period. This is because these
obligations and traditions are pre-determined and follow a defined structure. It allows for
the mourner to mould their life around this structure
This means the individual won’t feel ‘lost’ in their role as a mourner as they are able
to follow a certain structure.

Community
The belief concepts of Judaism are reaffirmed and upheld
Millions of individuals will partake in death and mourning traditions, rituals and
obligations which is an expression of belief for Judaism.
This notion is evident on a communal perspective as the recitation of the Kaddish as
a collective remembers the idea of one God and the justice and love that this God
provides.

Community is strengthened
Although mourning is a personal process, the traditions and obligations within mourning
are important in bringing people together
This maintains the essence of community which is a traditioned valued highly in
Judaism

Such traditions and obligations are evident in:


o Minyan (group of 10) is required to recite the Kaddish at the mourners home
o The role of the Chevra Kadisha – works on a community level to unite and
support

Reaffirms Jewish identity


It allows for the community to actively participate in the faith, they are no longer simply
labelling themselves as a Jew
They are ensuring the tradition is alive and is passed on down for generations – This
ensures the faith is kept alive

Sacred Writings that outline the significance of Death and Mourning

• Genesis 37:34 – “Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son
many days”
o The act of ‘Keriyah’ is performed to support the biblical act of Jacob
• Deuteronomy 21:23 – “You must not leave the body hanging on the pole overnight. Be
sure to bury it that same day, because anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s
curse”
o The urgency of burial in Judaism is due to the interpretation of this bible verse.
Jewish adherents should honour biblical law and thus there is urgency in the
body’s burial.

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Holocaust Theology
• Shoah - The Shoah is the term that is given to the event in which 6 million Jews were
killed in Nazi concentration camps from 1941 to 1945.

Holocaust Theology:
Holocaust theology is the study of the various theological responses to the Shoah. It rose from
the Jewish frustration and the questioning to why they experienced suffering. The idea of
theodicy is incorporated into Holocaust Theology which in essence means to justify God. These
pressing questions needed to be answered and thus theologians attempted to provide their
insight on these issues, thus Holocaust Theology arose.

Responses in Holocaust Theology


Syllabus Dot Points:
- Students learn about the contribution to Judaism of Holocaust Theology
- Students learn about the effect of Holocaust Theology on Judaism
- Students learn to explain the contribution to the development and expression of Judaism
of Holocaust Theology
- Students learn to analyse the impact of Holocaust Theology on Judaism

Traditional:
A traditional response maintains fundamental beliefs in the covenant and the halakha (Jewish
law). It believes traditions should be maintained and that God should never be questioned, even
in times of extreme uncertainty.

A Traditional response believes:


- Adherents must continue to believe in God and his righteous nature
- God is unfathomable and thus it is not the job of the adherents to question him
- Instead of placing the blame on God, the wrongdoings of others must be acknowledged
- Faith must be kept, even in times of uncertainty

Continuity/Change
This response believes that the Shoah ignites a change and reassessment of the faith and its
values. It believes reformation is required but the key, central beliefs of Judaism must be
maintained.

A Continuity/Change response believes:


- The relationship with God is dynamic
- Faith shouldn’t be given up – Jewish survival and identity must be upheld
- There is meaning within the Shoah – destruction can be significant to progress

Radical:
The events of the Shoah were so tragic that it calls for a complete re-evaluation and reformation
of all aspects of Judaism.

A Radical response believes:


- God is not omnipotent – they are limited by laws of nature and human evolution

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- God being omnipotent and righteous is a contradiction. If he is omnipotent, then the
blood of the Holocaust is on his hands. If he is righteous, then he had no power to
prevent the evil holocaust from occurring

Themes in Holocaust Theology

Free Will
• Free will is the God given ability to freely choose one’s actions whether it be right or
wrong
• God does not intervene in the created order as he gives humans the right to make their
own choices – if God was to interfere then will wouldn’t be free
• The Holocaust is not a dilemma of the whereabouts of God, his righteousness or his
power, rather it is an expression of the ability that man has to freely choose his actions

Theologian: Eliezer Berkowitz (Traditional)


- God does not pre-determine the fate of everything
- The Nazi’s used their free will to perpetrate evil
- Due to the principle of free will, God is unable to prevent the Holocaust from happening
- Berkowitz brings up the idea of Hester Panim – God was present during the Holocaust
but he was hiding his face
- He also outlines Kiddush ha-Shem – dying to maintain the dignity of God

Quote: “The God who hides himself is the God who saves”

Theologian: Jonathan Sacks (Traditional)


- The Holocaust proves that humans are terrible beings that are capable of causing
destruction
- God should not be blamed when it was humans who committed such acts

Quote: “Never take freedom for granted, it needs a hundred acts of self-control daily”

Jewish Survival and Identity


• In times of crisis, it is important that the Jewish identity is upheld and maintained
• When Jewish people come together as collective and stand in solidarity, it allows for their
faith to thrive
• Adherents cannot allow for the Holocaust to mark the end of the faith

Theologian: Emil Fackenheim (Continuity/Change)


- Judaism must survive – it can be kept alive through ritual and community
- The establishment of Israel is a response to Jewish hatred (Zionism)
- Believes life is sacred and should not be given up easily
- He brings up the notion of the 614 th Mitzvot – “Don’t give Hitler a posthumous victory”

Quote: “Jews are commanded to survive as Jews, lest the Jewish people perish”

Theologian: Marc Ellis (Radical)


- The oppression of Palestinians by the state of Israel proves that the Jewish have learnt
nothing from the Holocaust

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- The Jewish occupation of Israel is hypocritical and merely a continuation of the
Holocaust, just on different people – the oppressed becomes the oppressor
- Jewish people should aggregate and unite against all forms of injustice – this is where
Jewish identity lies

Quote: “When Jews pronounce the end of humanity in Auschwitz, do they also proclaim it in
the prison cells where Hebrew-speaking soldiers torture Palestinian men and women

Mystery
• God is unfathomable – humans are unable to understand his ways or actions
• When humans question God, they are like Job in the bible, asking questions they have no
right to ask
• Instead of questioning God, humans should have faith in God

Theologian: Neil Gillman (Traditional)


- There are no satisfactory answers to the Shoah
- The events that occurred are beyond comprehension
- Humans must submit to the omnipotence of God “and walk humbly with our God” –
Micah 6:8

Quote: “We really don’t have any conclusive answer for why human beings are doomed to
suffer”

Theologian: David Ariel (Traditional)


- The reasons for why bad prevails and the good is expelled should not be the concerns of
humans
- Jewish adherents should draw an analogy to Job in the Nevi’im in order to trust God and
overcome suffering
- The concept of evil is a challenge to humanity – Every victim or possible victim is
created in the image of God

Quote: “Job learns from his experience because he is open to what God can teach him”

Impact of Holocaust Theology on Judaism


5 central impacts
- Theological Impact
- Political Impact
- Socio-cultural impact
- Arts/Literature/Remembrance
- Faith Dialogue

Theological:
- There is a diverse range of thought – aspects addressed are the covenant, law, God,
rituals, and scripture
- The theological responses exist on a spectrum which range from those that believe that
fundamental values should be continued to be upheld to those which believe in the
complete reformation of the faith

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- The theological impact of Holocaust Theology is that it has created a spectrum of
responses due to the nuances of the topic – this has diversified the faith and caused a
rethinking of core Jewish beliefs

Political:
- Theologians such as Fackenheim believe that the Holocaust has allowed for the creation
of the state of Israel – This belief accounts for the Zionist movement which was a
movement that was boosted in response to the Holocaust
- Theologians such as Marc Ellis believe that Jewish people have no right to take over
someone else’s land and persecute the inhabitants – it proves that Jews have learnt
nothing from the Holocaust
- Holocaust theology has propelled the idea of “Jewish survival and identity” which
allowed for the political climate where there is a debate on how this Jewish survival and
identity relates to the Palestinian conflict

Socio-Cultural:
- Holocaust Theology arises the question on ‘what it means to be a Jew’
- This is because theologians impose their perspective onto the question
- Traditional theologians believe that to be a Jew they are to advocate tradtional Jewish
beliefs (e.g. reading the Torah as Jewish history)
- Continuity/Change theologians believe that to be a Jew, they should have a large
presence in the community
- The impact of Holocaust Theology is seen in its ability to ask the question on what it
means to be a Jew – this strengthens the faith as any response to this question (e.g.
community, Torah) reaffirms the fundamental beliefs of the faith

Arts/Literature/Remembrance
- Yom Hashoah – day of remembrance celebrated every year to remember the 6 million
who died in the Holocaust (Emil Fackenheim helped establish this day)
- Yad Vashem – Museum dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust (allows the victims to
tell their story)
- Films dedicated to the Holocaust (e.g. Boy in Striped Pyjamas) – relays the events of the
Holocaust
- Holocaust Theology pushed for the events to be etched into history, so these events are
not forgotten, this resulted in various forms of arts, literature and remembrance which
allows for the voices and memories of the dead to be heard

Faith Dialogue
- Faith dialogue with other Abrahamic faiths has been opened up due to the events of the
Holocaust
- Nostra Aetate – a document published by the Catholic Church which validates the
Jewish covenant and denotes respect for Jewish theology
- Holocaust theology communicates the destructiveness of the Holocaust, this resulted in
the Abrahamic faiths banding together and reaffirming their respect for each other. This
is done to curate a respect and understanding for other faiths among the populous to
help ensure that events such as the Holocaust doesn’t occur again.

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