The Holocaust, Part Two—Other Holocaust Commemorations: Issues and Complexities

In his final lecture, Rabbi Schacter asks: why did the most highly regarded rabbis of the 20th century oppose a special fast day for the Holocaust, and instead favor subsuming it under the Ninth of Av? He argues that this allows traditional Jews to maintain the links between historical tragedies, and to avoid the massive theological rupture that the Holocaust could represent. Finally, Rabbi Schacter concludes that Jewish memory is ultimately about survival, and that for communities to survive, they must primarily focus on the good and the pure.