Marmur: The next step to ensure Israel’s survival

[Swede]

The most cited call for Jewish survival after the Holocaust came from Canada. The late Emil Fackenheim, University of Toronto philosophy professor, argued that the tragedy the Nazis inflicted on the Jewish people had given rise to a new commandment to be added to the biblical 10: in response to what had happened, survivors and their descendants must now deprive Hitler of a posthumous victory by staying Jewish.

The formula provided Jews, religious and non-religious alike, with cogent reasons for loyalty, commitment and action. They would not only remain Jews but actively promote Judaism everywhere, even in Germany.

The safety and prosperity of the state of Israel would be the most obvious assurance that the 11th commandment would be observed. Though Jews as individuals, even communities, could live and thrive in many countries, only the Jewish state could safeguard the continuity of the Jewish people. That’s why Jews are so preoccupied with Israel, often to the utter astonishment of their non-Jewish friends and neighbours.

http://www.thestar.com/article/1070365--marmur-the-next-step-to-ensure-israel-s-survival