Dear, Elie Wiesel
After reading part of your book there is still many questions in my head. The most surprising thing I found in your account was your willingness to lose faith in such an awful time. When you went as far to say “Why, but why would I bless Him? Every fiber in my body rebelled. Because he caused thousands of children to burn in His mass graves... Praised be Thy Holy Name, for having chosen us to be slaughtered on Thine altar (Wiesel 67), I was shocked. As I recalled from the beginning you were sent to the camp in the first place because you believed in that religion. But, when times got bad it shocked me how you deny your own religion. I would think that someone would be praying even more to get help and out of that horrible situation that they were in.
If I were sent to one of these camps I would be the exact opposite. I would have less faith in the beginning, but as times began to get tougher, I, myself would prayting day in and day out, because what else could I do? There is nothing to but pray I would think. I can’t imagine something I have not and hopefully will not experience and I can never say I know what you feel,, but I can think. I wouldn’t know how much my opinion would change now if I was actually experiencing it instead of writing about it in front of a computer screen. But I can’t blame you for your thoughts. You were mad at the time and couldn’t believe that if a God was so holy, why he would test you by sending you to concentration camps. I understand and can see how you formed your thoughts, but I would think that times like these, would test your faith and strengthen one’s belief in that religion.
After reading parts of your book and viewing you interview with Oprah, it is no question that you are a wise, intelligent man. Yet there is one thing in common that I see with both. Was seeing the death of so many children the part that still haunts you today? As you said, you were mad at God for burning innocent children, and in the interview you said “the death of one child makes no sense. The death of millions, what sense could it make” (Wiesel). It seems the senseless death of children can be seen in your thoughts. After watching the clip found on YouTube, it makes me think. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-xm6nUbeXQ. Was this why you felt his way about God at that time? Was it the death of innocence children that caused your loss of faith? I don’t know because you are the only one who can answer, and that is why I am asking you.
Dear Jordan,
ReplyDeleteYes, I did turn away from what I grew up under. Yet, I felt as though God had abandoned us. What God would let his people suffer like this? I could not believe those people who would say that God is testing us. Yes, we were detained because of our religion. Maybe the tiniest part of me believed that if I turned away from my religion that the Germans would let me go. I know that sounds unreasonable, but I needed hope from something.
I can understand what you think your reactions would be. Sometimes, the types of trauma people experience help them to gain a closer view at religion. Some even vow to become more deeply religious. Yet, this is just a response to the amount of stress that they faced. Maybe my faith was tested, but didn't want to be tested, so maybe I did give up. I don't even know if I did.
I remember that quote that I said to Oprah, and I do believe that the fact that I witnessed the deaths of thousands, ten thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of children. Like I said in the video, some of these children could have grown up to become scientists, poets, artists, or even the leaders of our generation. Unfortunately, the cruelty of the Nazis may have contributed to the unrest in the world. Those children may have helped to stop wars, help the environment, or even cured terminal illnesses. Yet, all we can do is pray for them. I may not have had much religion in the camp, but it has revived itself in me.
Elie Wiesel