Turning Pain Into Transformation: A Holocaust Kinnos Reflection | Rabbi Nachman Elsant

Before reciting the Holocaust kinnos, Rabbi Elsant reflects on the unimaginable suffering of European Jewry and on the Jewish message the Nazis sought to eradicate. Through heartbreaking accounts from Auschwitz, Majdanek, and other sites of the Holocaust, he explores the Jewish commitment to morality, conscience, holiness, and personal transformation. The pain of falling short of our values is not something to escape, he explains, but something we can use to grow with patience, perseverance, and compassion for ourselves. Rabbi Elsant also shares the extraordinary story of Holocaust survivor Leo Bruckstein, who encountered the childhood friend whose betrayal had cost him his wife, child, and in-laws. His response carried a powerful lesson: “Holding onto hurt only hurts yourself.” As we mourn the victims of the Holocaust, we are called not only to remember, but to change. To release resentment, overcome division among fellow Jews, and bring greater light into the world. ---------------------------- Get a chance to hear these Rabbis speak firsthand by joining us in Israel! APPLY HERE: https://foundations.aish.com