Believing In God After Tragedies
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

I still Believe In A God That Let The Holocaust Happen

My story of faith and acceptance......and how a musical let it all happen.

508
I still Believe In A God That Let The Holocaust Happen

I have spent a majority of my life holding a grudge against God for letting millions of His people be killed for their faith in Him. I have been angry at God because He did nothing. There were no pillars of salt, no floods, and no actions to show any divine intervention at all; all I could see was that people had been killed simply because they were Jewish. I was angry that my people were not only killed but forced to flee to places that weren't much more welcoming than where they came from. I heard stories of Holocaust survivors who still prayed while withering away in concentration camps, and I just couldn't understand why these people who had lost everything would still pray to a God who didn't stop it.

In my mind, God let the Holocaust happen, and that was unforgivable.

So when did my faith begin to return? It didn't happen overnight and it didn't happen because of a burning bush, either. It happened because of a musical; Fiddler on the Roof restored my faith in God. Let me explain: In my senior year of high school I directed my theatre program's big spring musical, which was Fiddler on the Roof. When we started rehearsing I knew that I was going to have to teach the cast about Judaism and the history of the Jewish people so that they could connect to and understand the culture behind the characters they were portraying.

So, I made power points, I talked about my family, I brought in my own family's Sabbath candlesticks to use in the show, and I made sure that everyone knew why certain traditions were traditions. In the process of educating everyone else, I realized that I was educating myself. I was learning more and more about my family's history and culture, but most importantly, I learned more about the God that I had turned my back on.

I spent the duration of the production arguing with myself and wrestling with my culture and my faith because I just couldn't get over the fact that God had allowed the Holocaust to happen. I was taught that God was everywhere and that God was in everything. I couldn't believe in Him because if He was everywhere, and He was in everything, how could such evil in the world exist? I thought about the nature of the Holocaust, and when I had the opportunity to listen to a Holocaust survivor describe how he himself does not blame God for the Holocaust and additionally does not hold an entire group of people accountable for the actions of individuals, it came to me almost like an "aha" moment.

God did not make the Holocaust happen, people did.

The evil done in the Holocaust was not done by God; it was the result of fear and the hatred that that fear produced. However, in a way, God did stop the Holocaust. God was in the soldiers who fought for the freedom of people they had no connection to. God was in the citizens who hid Jews and risked their own lives in the process. God was in the few Nazis who showed kindness and would occasionally turn a blind eye. God was everywhere in the Holocaust; God was everywhere there was hope.

I still believe in a God who let the Holocaust happen because I know that it is not God's duty to clean up our messes as soon as we make them. It is our job to be kind to the people we share the Earth with and it is our job to learn from tragedies like the Holocaust. I still believe in God because God didn't make the Holocaust, but He did show up in the end.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

54931
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

35354
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

957506
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

184338
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments