After reading the the brief autobiographical excerpt from Judith Magyar Isaacson, I want you to think about and answer ONE (you can address more, but don't feel obligated to do so) of the following questions:
1. On page 150 Isaacson mentions "Yom Kippur Jews." What does she mean? What would be the equivalent in your own tradition?
2. "I prayed. But to a god I no longer trusted" (252). This quote seems to encapsulate a feeling we all have at one time or another. For the Jewish people, I think this feeling takes on particular weight in light of the Babylonian Exile, constant persecution, the Holocaust, etc. When great and inexplicable tragedy befalls us, our family, or our world, how can we still muster faith and trust in a loving, all powerful, all knowing God? How can Jews do this using the template(s) of the Covenant we discussed in class?
3. When discussing her still unfinished memoir with her daughter, Isaacson says "I seem to owe it to the dead" (261). Her daughter responds "You owe it to the living" (ibid.) . What does each mean?
4. What was the most shocking part of Isaacson's memoir and why?
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I think there are two major ways of interpreting Isaacson saying, "I seem to owe it to the dead." The first being, she literally owes the one chapter she has written to the history of those who suffered. The second interpretation, on a more spiritual level, could be that she is reminding herself of the unique, and "chosen" (by God) history in Judaism. The past reminds Isaacson to keep her faith. Her daughter responds with, "You owe it to the living," reminding her not to dwell too much in the past. The focus of community in Judaism requires attention to the present, not the past. Also, although it is a memoir, if she dwells too much in the past mourning and remembering by talking to her daughter, when will she ever find time to write the memoir? Isaacson owes her memoir to the living to remind them to keep faith.
ReplyDelete1) My interpretation of what Isaacson refers to as "Yom Kippur Jews" is that they are strong Orthodox believers with that carry out certain rituals. Yom Kippur Jewish men wear different "hats," which distinguish themselves from other Jews. Also, Yom Kippur Jews worship together as a community and follow a "prayer book." This is similar to our traditions, because we also follow a "prayer book" and worship together as a community. Additionally, in the Greek Orthodox church archbishops, bishops, and priests wear vestments, while Yom Kippur Jews have a rabbi, who wear a different "hat" compared to other Jews.
ReplyDelete3. My interpretation of why Isaacson wrote for the dead is that she was writing for the people who died and lost the opportunity to tell others about their experience in the war. She was writing for friends and family to tell their relatives how they died or about them before their death. When Isaacson's daughter told her that she was writing for the died, I understood that to mean that she was writing for the survivors who are scared to share their stories and be judged by the world. They are scared to face the consequences and think people will negatively react to their stories. By the end of this autobiography, I was particularly shocked to hear what the Polish guide said about Lager B III-b, and how Judith survived three weeks of staying there. She should write the memoir to keep the memories of all members of the camp alive and share the primary experience of living there.
ReplyDelete1. On page 150 Isaacson mentions "Yom Kippur Jews." What does she mean? What would be the equivalent in your own tradition?
ReplyDelete"Yom Kippur Jews" refers to the Jews who only go to temple on Yom Kippur. In Christianity, this would be equivalent to Christians who only go to mass on Easter or Christmas. "Yom Kippur Jews" and "Christmas Christians" are loose followers of a belief but do not feel it is necessary or have the time to attend a liturgy weekly.
The world has faced many hardships, which force people to doubt their God. Why would God ever allow events such as the 9/11 attacks to occur? Why did he not protect us? These are constant questions we face each day. We wonder why God does not protect us in every way. It is difficult to maintain the faith and love for God despite all we have faced; however, we all must keep our faith. God promises to be there for the people, if they remain faithful to him. He declares in the covenant that he will leave the Temple in spirit, if they do not say faithful to him or continue to doubt him.
ReplyDeleteBut we must stay faithful to God if he is to remain by us, even in light of certain events.
When Isaacson mentions "Yom Kippur Jews," she is referring to the name rabbis give Jews who only choose to celebrate the most important aspects and times in Judaism. They are semi-devout Jews. For example, they celebrate Yom Kippur, one of the most important holidays in Judaism. In addition, "Yom Kippur Jews" won't wear the traditional prayer shawls, but wear the appropriate hats. This is similar to the Christian tradition because some Christians are less devout than others. Some may only attend mass on especially holy days, such as Easter and Christmas. However, no matter how devout a Christian or Jewish person is, they are no less of a Christian or Jew.
ReplyDelete1. I think that "Yom Kippur Jews" refers to the Jews that are not usually devout, but still go to temple on Yom Kippur only. Isaacson might be suggesting that these Jews only worship on Yom Kippur because it is a sort of obligation, and only because it is the most important Jewish holiday, but do not understand the importance of attending temple services regularly. This is the equivalent of Christians that only go to mass on major holidays, such as Christmas and Easter.
ReplyDelete1. When Isaacson says "Yom Kipper Jews" she is talking about the Jews that believe in God, but do not go to temple regularly and do not follow through with the sabbath every week. She is referring to the people that just go to temple on the major jewish holidays, such as Yom Kipper. For Catholics, these are the people that do not go to church every Sunday, but the people who go to church on Christmas and Easter.
ReplyDeleteWhen JMI refers to "Yom Kippur Jews" she is referring to the Jews who may not be as devout as others, and only come to temple on major holidays such as Yom Kippur. This is similar to the many Christians that come to church only on major holidays like Christmas and Easter, rather than every Sunday, like more devout or stricter Christians.
ReplyDeleteWhen Judith Magyar Isaacson discusses Yom Kippur, she mentions this special sect of "Yom Kippur Jews." These Jews are semi-devout Jews who only worship and celebrate the high holidays of Judaism. They celebrate the most important holidays, hence why this group if called Yom Kippur Jews, because they mostly only celebrate Yom Kippur. "Yom Kippur Jews" also do not wear the traditional shawls, but they wear various yarmulkas depending on their age. This is similar to Christian traditions because there are many Christians who only attend church on special holidays, for example Easter and Christmas.
ReplyDeleteJudith Magyar Isaacson refers to "Yom Kippur Jews." These Jews are Jews who are not as devout as other fellow Jews. They may only go to temple on larger days of celebration or religious significance, such as Yom Kippur. This can be related to the Christians who call themselves Christians but may not necessarily go to church every sunday, or practice all of the aspects of Christianity. They may only go to church of Christmas or Easter. Judith Magyar Isaacson says Yom Kippur Jews, but could mean that they are almost like half-Jews, not fully part of the religion, and the sacrifices and practices that taking part in that religion requires.
ReplyDelete2.
ReplyDeleteI think that during times of great trouble and oppression it is extremely difficult to believe in God however we can still manage to do so by seeing the positives. In every situation, even in something as bad as the holocaust, there are empowering stories of survivors and people going out of there way and putting themselves in danger to save others. I believe that God is in these people and even more so in the people who do not survive because although they may feel neglected, that feeling is not because God has left. The feeling of neglect comes from other people who do bad things. I don’t think God wants bad things to happen to people, but it is human nature for people to be power hungry and evil. If God made everyone perfect then the world would not exist, as we know it today. Jews are able to use their beliefs as something to hold on to because their religion has such a strong emphasis put on family and tradition. For Judith Magyar Isaacson it was easy to see how God had abandoned her in the worst of times, but he had not, and people usually only see that God is there when things get better.
1. The "Yom Kippur" Jews that Isaacson mentioned are people who say they are Jewish, but don't really practice the religion as much as others. This title implies that they are people who will go to synagogue a few times a year on major holidays, instead of once a week like they are technically supposed to. The equivalent of this are some Catholics today who never go to Church, except maybe on Easter and Christmas, and yet still call themselves Catholic and still believe in the religion. It is more of a modernization of religious culture than anything else.
ReplyDelete1. On page 250 Isaacson mentions "Yom Kippur Jews." What does she mean? What would be the equivalent in your own tradition?
ReplyDeleteWhen she mentions that their rabbi in Kaposvár scolded them for being "Yom Kippur Jews," she means that they were not very devout, and only celebrated the high holidays, such as Yom Kippur. This would be the equivalent of the Catholics who only go to the mass on Easter Sunday. The idea is that the people are only Jewish because they say they are and may follow very few rituals. In comparison to Orthodox Jews or Conservative Jews, they are not a religiously focused (their religion doesn't coincide with daily life).
1. When JMI is referring to certain Jews as "Yom Kippur Jews", I think that she is referring to certain Jews who are not as devout as other Jews. They are the Jews that celebrate the most important aspects of Judaism, such as the important holiday of Yom Kippur. In a way, it seems like we can also call them Reform Jews, because they are the most flexible with the Jewish religion. They believe in God, and celebrate the important Jewish holidays, but they don't take everything literally, like the Orthodox Jews.
ReplyDelete1. I agree with all the other comments in explanation as to what "Yom Kippur Jews" means. Many Jews follow parts of their religion but are too busy to go to the synagogue every week. Yom Kippur is the major holiday for Jews and they feel that on that special day, they should go. The equivalent is Christmas Eve or Easter for Catholics. Personally, my family only goes to church on Christmas Ever but we still call ourselves Catholics. We are simply too busy to go every week like we are technically supposed to.
ReplyDelete2) "I prayed. But to a god I no longer trusted" (252).
ReplyDeleteThis quote, I think, applies to everyone. There are always times when we begin to doubt God and his influence due to some calamity or misfortune that has struck us. Despite these reasons to doubt Him, we must always keep our faith because some good always comes from the bad; God promises in the Covenant that he will be there for us if we trust him, but in reality, the Covenant is unconditional- He will always be there for us. I try to keep this in mind when I feel like God has given up on me or when I face an adversity and I think the Jews can too if they remember the Covenant is not conditional.
3. When Isaacson says she owes it to the dead, I think she means that she owes all the sufferers if the holocaust some sort of recognition for what they had to go through. I think her daughter's response means that it's Isaacson's responsibility to spread what had happened to her and others with the world. Isaacson's and so many others' terrifying experience of mass murder and suffering should never have to be endured again. Personally, I felt almost sick reading Isaacson's story, and I think that's the best thing she could do to try and prevent something like the holocaust from happening again.
ReplyDelete1. I agree with all that has been said by my classmates in relation to Judith Magyar Isaacson’s definition of “Yom Kippur Jews.” “Yom Kippur Jews” are simply less devout Jews compared to others. They only celebrate the most significant Jewish holidays, such as Yom Kippur. “Yom Kippur Jews” are comparable to Christians who only go to church on major Christian holidays, such Easter and Christmas Eve, instead of every Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI prayed. But to a god I no longer trusted" (252).
ReplyDeleteEveryone has reached a low point in which they felt that everyone, including God, had turned against them. Even Jews may feel this way, especially the Jewish people during times like the Babylonian Exile or the Holocaust. It must have been hard to believe that God was on their side when they suffered as they were being tortured. However, they did manage to survive after the Exile and Holocaust with the help of God. It was God who helped them through their times of despair and led them
to their promised land after being exiled. God promised the covenant and kept his promise. It's hard to remember that God still loves us when we are at our lowest points but it's important to think of the future and how God will always be the one to lead us out of whatever misfortune we are in.
I prayed. But to a god I no longer trusted" (252).
ReplyDeleteEveryone has reached a low point in which they felt that everyone, including God, had turned against them. Even Jews may feel this way, especially the Jewish people during times like the Babylonian Exile or the Holocaust. It must have been hard to believe that God was on their side when they suffered as they were being tortured. However, they did manage to survive after the Exile and Holocaust with the help of God. It was God who helped them through their times of despair and led them
to their promised land after being exiled. God promised the covenant and kept his promise. It's hard to remember that God still loves us when we are at our lowest points but it's important to think of the future and how God will always be the one to lead us out of whatever misfortune we are in.
4. Similar to other Holocaust survival stories that I have read, I found Isaacson's memoir very moving. I found the dialogue really engaging, and I felt that I learned new aspects about Judaism as well as the Holocaust. Certain parts of this memoir were especially interesting and shocking.
ReplyDeleteWhen Isaacson is a little girl, she reads a poem that at a festival that she has memorized and practiced. Because she is Jewish, audience members hassle young Judith and call her names such as, "dirty jew". Despite the comments, she recites her poem a second time. This time, she received the applause that she deserved. I found that this showed incredible courage for such a little girl. I also found that it showed the incredible cruelty of several members of her Hungarian audience. Although she might have been Jewish, Judith was really nothing but a lovable little girl.
Later in the memoir, it was shocking to learn that the Bizcó, the teacher who had chosen Isaacson to participate in the festival, eventually became an incredibly cruel SS member. He eventually killed himself.
The descriptions of the train rides to Auschwitz are incredibly vivid in my mind. The description of the two buckets, one for water and one for waste in the middle of the crammed train, will always be something that I remember. The fact that they could only have a sip of water everyday is also horrifying.
Another section that I remember is the part when they arrive at Auschwitz and the SS members chose which people would stay alive and which would be gassed. This was also shocking and sickening. I cannot even begin to imagine what this would have been like. Many Jews such as Judith Magyar Isaacson certainly showed a lot of bravery in the face of such incredible adversity.
The misconceptions about the "showers" were also painful to read about. They could smell burning flesh upon arrival at Auschwitz, but they did not quite know where it was coming from. I wonder if it was better that no one knew what was happening in the "showers". People about to die were not entirely aware, and people who could not find family members after they had been sent to the showers were not entirely sure what might have happened. This uncertainty on the part of the family members might have allowed some Jews to remain hopeful while at Auschwitz, and it might have motivated them to continue fighting to survive.
I found it surprising that many people still prayed while at Auschwitz. How could they have been so faithful to god after having experienced the most difficult of hardships?
When JMI calls some Jews "Yom Kippur Jews" she is talking about Jewish people who believe in God and the Jewish teachings, but do not follow many of the religious practices. For example Jews who go to temple on major holidays, such as Yom Kippur, but not to temple every week. This is would be like the equivalent of "Christmas Christians" in Christianity. People that go to church on Christmas and Easter, but not every week. They are still considered Christian, but not as devout.
ReplyDeleteWhen Isaacson mentions Yom Kippur Jews she is referring to the Jews who only celebrate the big Jewish holidays like Yom Kippur, but don't got to Temple often. They are simply less devout Jews. Yom Kippur Jews are the equivalent of Christians who only go to Church on Christmas and Easter. They believe in Jesus and God, but they only celebrate the big holidays.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most shocking part of the memoir was describing exactly what it was like inside of the cattle car. You hear about it, but it is rare that you get to understand it from a first-hand perspective. The way that people actually went insane was startling - there is a big difference from understanding that someone went insane as opposed to actually watching it happen.
ReplyDeleteIsaacson uses the term “Yom Kippur Jews” as a way of describing members of the Jewish faith who only go to Temple on the most important day of the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur. The equivalent to this statement in Catholicism would be Catholics who only go to Church on Christmas and Easter. They call themselves practicing Catholics and yet they only go to Church on the two days where they are truly obligated to go. It could be interpreted as a lack of devotion or commitment to their faith, whether it be Judaism or Catholicism.
ReplyDeleteWhen Judith Magyar Isaacson refers to "Yom Kippur Jews" I think she is referring to the Jews who only attend temple once a year on Yom Kippur instead of attending temple once a week. This would be equivalent to the Catholics that only attend church on Easter or Christmas instead of attending mass every Sunday.
ReplyDelete3. Judith Magyar says that she owes it to the dead to write her memoir. Perhaps she means that the many who endured this horrible experience deserve to have their story told. The weight has fallen upon her to tell it because she survived the experience with the exact memories of what went on and sufficient talent to narrate the story well. Her daughter responds with “You owe it to the living” (261). This might be even more correct because although it right to honor the dead by commemorating their story, it is almost necessary for other people to hear that story.
ReplyDeleteWe hear a lot of sob stories today, most of which are designed to provoke our sympathy. There is nothing wrong with that, but it just makes it even more surprising when we read a story like this, a story full of such gruesome and horrible things—things that no one in his right mind could make up. Judith Magyar’s story was not written to generate money for a charity or provoke more sympathy for Jews in the Holocaust—it is a factual memoir. Not factual as in statistics of how many Jews died during the war, of how many girls, of how many children, but factual as in it says this is someone who went through that, this is what happened, and this is how she felt. And the pure facts relating to just those three things wrench our hearts infinitely more than the most propagandist and eloquent writer.
So yes, she does owe it to us to tell her story because we need to understand that these awful events did occur, we need to face that, and then we need to move on. Of course sitting around crying about the Holocaust doesn’t do anything to make it better, but it is completely necessary to hear stories such as Judith Magyar Isaacson. Stories such as hers have a lot to teach us, not just about the brutality of human nature, but about the true and perseverant spirit that survived that brutality.
1.On page 150 Isaacson mentions "Yom Kippur Jews." What does she mean? What would be the equivalent in your own tradition?
ReplyDeleteBy calling someone a "Yom Kippur Jew" Isaacson means someone who only goes to temple on that specific day to worship, and none of the other holy days throughout the year. This relates to Christianity with "Christmas Christians" or "Easter Christians" meaning they only go to church on the major Christian holidays.
Judith Magyar Isaacson refers to "Yom Kippur Jews" to identify those who are not fully devoted Jews. In other words, they are Jews that only celebrate major holidays and events on the calender, such as Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah. Not only does this concept relate to Christianity, when they only attend and celebrate Easter mass or Christmas, but I think that it relates to all kind of religions, since there are people who are less devoted than others.
ReplyDelete2. Judith Magyar Isaacson felt alone and abandoned on the train ride to the Jewish concentration camp, but she is not the first to feel this way. “I prayed. But to a God I no longer trusted.” (252) There are a plethora of stories about the hardships that Jews have endured in the Bible, tracing back thousands of years. In each of these stories, God punishes his people for not being faithful to him when he stood by them. Therefore, they must suffer the consequences of exile and enslavement. Other times, God is testing his people in order to see if they will keep faith in him even if he appears not to be there. It is important for Jews to remember this, and to know that God will never desert them. Also, not only Jews feel deserted by God sometimes; this is a feeling shared by people of all religions. However, when presented with obstacles that seem to indicate that God does not exist, it is important to remember that he has always been there for us, and will continue to do so.
ReplyDeleteThe quote “I prayed. But to a God I no longer trusted” is a statement that at times many people can relate to. Everyone goes through hard times and it is not always easy to be faithful in God, especially in times like the Holocaust. In times like the Holocaust one begins to question one’s faith. Why would God let this happen if I have always followed is laws/teachings? Although it is very hard to believe that God is on your side, one must remember that God gave everyone free will. The tragedies that happen around the world are caused by the decisions of others, not by God’s will. Last year, when we read the Old Testament, we read about the hard times the Israelites had to face. Although the obstacles in their way might have made them question their faith, the Israelites became stronger.
ReplyDelete1. When Judith Magyar Isaacson talks about "Yom Kippur Jews," she is referring to the Jews who do not go to the Synagogue every Sabbath, but go on major Jewish holidays. Many Christians only go to church on Easter or Christmas and not every Sunday.
ReplyDelete"I prayed. But to a god I no longer trusted"
ReplyDeleteWhen Judith Magyar Isaacson says this is it easy to understand how she has lost faith in God. She has been forced to go to a concentration camp, solely because of her religion. Although none of us had experienced hardships that compare to Judith's, we all at some point have doubted God. With all the bad things that go on in world, it is easy to question one's faith. However it is important to remember that God gave everyone free will and some people use it to hurt others. Also, challenges can often strengthen our faith because they make us realize what is important.
1. When she refers to Yom Kippur Jews she is speaking of Jews who only go to synagogue on Yom Kippur/ major holidays. They are similar to Christians who only go to church on Christmas Eve and Easter.
ReplyDeleteWhen Issacson mentions "Yom Kippur Jews" she is referring to Jews who don't practice Jewish traditions, like going to synagogue or praying frequently, on a day to day basis, yet on important holidays such as Yom Kippur they show up. There are absolutely people in the Christian tradition who are equivalent to "Yom Kippur Jews". There are many Christian people who don't comply with the daily obligations of being a Christian and yet attend church and celebrate the sacrament of communion on Easter and Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteWhen Issacson mentions "Yom Kippur Jews" she is referring to Jews who don't practice Jewish traditions, like going to synagogue or praying frequently, on a day to day basis, yet on important holidays such as Yom Kippur they show up. There are absolutely people in the Christian tradition who are equivalent to "Yom Kippur Jews". There are many Christian people who don't comply with the daily obligations of being a Christian and yet attend church and celebrate the sacrament of communion on Easter and Christmas Eve.
ReplyDelete4. What was the most shocking part of Isaacson's memoir and why?
ReplyDeleteI think that the most shocking part of Isaacson's memoir was the story of her poetry recital. It's hard to believe that a room full of adults would shout such harsh comments to a young girl trying to recite a poem to an audience. It is so unimaginable for an adult to direct such terrible things at a child, no matter what the circumstance is. It also shows how strong the prejudice was for people to act in such a way.
By saying that one is a "Yom Kippur" Jew means that a Jew only goes to synagogue only on 'big' jewish holidays such as Yom Kippur. It can relate to any religion for example a person can say that they are Christian but only go to church maybe on Christmas and Easter. These kind of people say that they have faith in the religion, but they do not follow through with the ritual aspect of the religion. They may be Jewish, Catholic or Buddhist but they may not be practicing and devote in their religion. Does this make them not a good Jew, Christian or Buddhist? Well, one must define the term "good."
ReplyDelete3. When discussing her still unfinished memoir with her daughter, Isaacson says "I seem to owe it to the dead" (261). Her daughter responds "You owe it to the living" (ibid.) . What does each mean?
ReplyDeleteI think that when Isaacson says that she seems to "owe it to the dead" I think she is referring to all those that died. She felt as if she had an obligation to share her story, because they were indirectly, and even unintentionally, a part of her story. By finishing her story she was also sharing a part of theirs. If people could read about her story, they would be able to get a glimpse into the stories of all those who died. When her daughter says "You owe it to the living" I think she is speaking of all the survivors. I think that she believes that her mother's story will not only give a voice to her mother, but also to all of the other people who survived.
On page 150 Isaacson mentions "Yom Kippur Jews." This means Jews who only go to temple on highly celebrated holidays. This is equivalent to Catholics who only go to mass during either Christmas or Easter. However being classified as a "Yom Kippur Jew" is not necessarily a bad thing. Just because you might not be able to get to the temple every week does not make you less of a jew. As long as someone continues to live their life in a proper jewish manner
ReplyDelete1. In referring to "Yom Kippur Jews," I agree with everything that has been stated by my classmates. Isaacson's definition of "Yon Kippur Jews" simply states that they are Jews who are not as devout as others. They are ones who only celebrate the "BIG" Jewish holidays.
ReplyDelete3. I feel that there are various ways to interpret why Isaacson said "for the dead." They way i would interpret it is that she dedicates her writing for the people that had died in the war and never got the chance to express their feelings before they died to the ones they loved. She also uses it as way to remind herself that she was chosen by god and it is a reminder of the faith. Her daughters response "You owe it to the living" reminds her that she should not focus on the past and move on because if she keeps living the past then she will never be able to affect the future with her memoirs. Her memoirs will help remind the living to keep faith.
ReplyDelete4. I pretty much found all aspects pertaining to the Holocaust surprising in this memoir. I haven't read very many stories on the Holocaust and some of the things she said were so vivid. For example: the 2 buckets in the middle of the train, one for water and one for waste. The Nazis really did treat Jews as if they were some sort of disgusting animal and that must feel awful. Her descriptions of the gas chambers were also particularly moving. However, what i found most surprising was when she mentioned how many of the Jews continued to pray while at Auschwitz. I would never have such faith and I find that both admirable and unbelievable. How could you pray to a god who is clearly not there for you and after going through so many terrible things?
ReplyDelete