How does a nation mourn a national tragedy? How much is enough? How much is too much? How does mourning help us to move on – to move back into life? These are the big questions which animate Tisha B’Av, the traditional Jewish day of mourning and fasting in memory of past communal tragedies, which commences at sundown this Monday night, July 19th. They are also the questions evoked by a powerful video which shows a survivor of Auschwitz dancing in the concentration camp, with his grandchildren, to the sound of Donna Summer’s disco classic, I Will Survive.
Before the video, a bit of background on this little known but remarkably important Jewish day — important because we all experience loss at some point in our lives, and the message of Tishs B’Av is truly helpful in dealing with whatever those losses may be.
Tisha B’Av, literally the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, recalls a range of tragedies. According to the Mishna (rabbinic legal code from the second century), five tragedies befell the Jewish people on Tisha B’Av including, the decree that those who left Egypt as described in the biblical story, would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land, the destruction of the first Temple in 587 BCE, the destruction of the second Temple in 70 CE, the collapse of the Bar Kokhba rebellion against the Roman occupation of Israel, and the plowing over of Jerusalem in the wake of that defeat. But the list doesn’t stop there. Over time, the list grew.
Whether historically accurate or not, people came to associate other historic tragedies with Tisha B’Av. The list includes the beginning of the First Crusade in 1095, the expulsion of Jews from Spain by King Ferdinand in 1492, and the beginning of World War One in 1914. Others have added a range of events from the Holocaust, and given that it was the Holocaust, it was not hard to find those events. But it’s not the particular events, as much as the impulse to park all these tragedies on a single day, or even within the confines of the 3 week period of mourning leading up to it, that is striking.
Ultimately Jewish tradition is about life, about the triumph of life over death, of human dignity over indignity and celebration over suffering. To that end, the rabbinic imagination and that of all those who continued their habit of corralling collective mourning into a relatively brief period, was truly wise. Not to mourn at all is impossible, the Talmud teaches, but to mourn too much is also unhealthy.
We need not ignore past tragedies, but neither can we allow ourselves to be imprisoned by them. Tisha B’Av, and the traditions surrounding it, teach us that a nation can take up to three weeks out of the year, about 5% of its time, to bemoan it current condition and all the tragedies which lead up to it. After that, the community must be about the celebration of life and the building of a better future, regardless of the circumstances in which it may find itself. So like all traditional Jews I will be fasting on Tisha B’Av, but I also know that sadness over the past is not a substitute for a healthy spirituality which is focused on the present and helps to construct a better future.
In that spirit, I found this video of Holocaust survivor Adolk Korman dancing with his family in the very places where he was victimized 65 years ago to be truly beautiful. I appreciate that others may find sacrilegious what I find to be sacred, but how different is that than those early rabbis who were busy creating Judaism 65 years after the collapse of the Temple in Jerusalem? Like Mr. Korman and his family, they chose to celebrate life even in those places where they had suffered. Like Mr. Korman and his family, they sang and danced in the shadow of those places where they had seen their loved ones perish and their spiritual center burned.
I am sure that then as now, some people felt that such behavior was tasteless, inappropriate, disrespectful, insensitive, etc. But were it not for people whose love of life triumphs over their sadness in the face of past death, we would never create a future. We need not forget the past in order to move beyond it. And that is a truth which Adolk Korman, his film-maker daughter and the sages of the Talmud all appreciated. I am grateful to them all.
Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of 
posted July 16, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Thank you for reminding us that no matter the suffering of Jews through the ages, “Ultimately Jewish tradition is about life, about the triumph of life over death, of human dignity over indignity and celebration over suffering.” This is such a strong strain in Jewish thought that my own Rabbi, who is of the Reform variety, told me the same thing in a different context. If we put 10 Jews in a room, we would get 12 opinions. Nice to know that Jews, of whatever school of thought/practice, can agree on something.
Personally speaking, I do not have any problems with a Holocuast survivor metaphorically dancing on the graves of the Nazi murderers. But music from the Disco Queen?
posted July 16, 2010 at 2:25 pm
jesus the jewish messiah that threaten the corrupt jewish religion so the high priest had him killed… said do not mourn the dead … they are with god in heaven…the jewish tradition to mourn the dead was invented by the jews to purposely disrespect what jesus said… that there was no need to mourn the dead…
posted July 16, 2010 at 10:39 pm
if everyone was able to visit god when they sleep and really be with him…not just dreaming…then when people woke up they wouldn’t feel the need to mourn the dead … they wouldn’t feel the need for wars or religion…there wouldn’t be very rich people and people without…FAITH is what all the children of god do not have…when they become involved in the ways of the world…hector i was just joking about the cucumbers… i know you didn’t right that…
posted July 17, 2010 at 5:25 am
Donna Summer never sang “I Will Survive”…
posted July 17, 2010 at 9:15 am
“I will survive” is by Gloria Gaynor.
The Nazi candidate for governor of Maryland, Boob Ehrlich – of German descent- has a version of this, in which he, dressed in an SS uniform, dances in front of the Warsaw Ghetto. (His wife is of Polish descent.)
posted July 18, 2010 at 5:05 am
We posted this video on our Facebook page and got both positive and negative reactions. Some thought the song was inappropriate, due its original meaning as a break-up song. Others pointed out that we should not judge Holocaust survivors by the methods they choose to commemorate these terrible events in their lives.
posted July 18, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Tell me, withyobadself, since you are so critical of the Jews, why you are posting here. If you are trying to prosyletize, it’s not needed, and I seriously doubt you’ll change anyone’s mind. I, for one, think you are a nasty, sick puppy that needs a good spanking. It’s up to the moderators here as to whether you belong here or not, but your nasty attitude is conveying to me that you are simply an oxygen thief.
Gavriella
posted July 18, 2010 at 8:05 pm
Carolyn…years ago lucifer spoke to me…and ask me to join him and together we would rule the world… he said that we were brothers and i used to be an angel in heaven that played music…and lucifer said that he always got in trouble and i didnt… then god spoke to me and said that me and god are one …that we share the same spirit… that he made everyone for me to play with … he said everyone are my toys… god said that me and him are playing a game and when we are done… we will go play another … he said the game we are playing has do with the bible… so what happend to the other half of your last name???do you work in hollywood…lets write a movie…but im not going to prosyletize into a jew…
posted July 19, 2010 at 7:15 am
> “then god spoke to me and said that me and god are one … im not going to prosyletize into a jew…”
I’m skeptical that you and God are one. I’m sure God’s grammar is much better than yours.
posted July 19, 2010 at 12:48 pm
If Zaydeh had objected, he wouldn’t have gone along with it. He’s alive, and his family is with him. That alone is a triumph of the human spirit. He has every right and reason to dance.
posted July 19, 2010 at 12:59 pm
If that’s how the Survivor wants to celebrate, so be it. Shame is only on the Nazis.
posted July 19, 2010 at 1:06 pm
the jewish messiah spoke alot about welcoming death… it would have been better for zaydeh to triumph by allowing his death… so he could be with god…god wants his people to have courage and faith…how many other jews had to die so zaydeh could live…to live while others are being killed is a selfish act…
posted July 19, 2010 at 1:57 pm
I would never critcize a Holocaust survivor for celebrating his life and survival. Personally, though, I find it a bit disturbing. To dance where so many suffered and died, where so many lost entire families and were left alone just does not feel right to me. I am sure some Holocaust surviors would feel as I do and some would celebrate right along with him. People deal with tragedy in different ways.
posted July 19, 2010 at 7:39 pm
David danced with joy at the return of the Arc of the Covenent. To dance with joy is to live again. There are many who go through tragedy in their lives and make a decision to dance and celebrate. I believe in celebrating life. Some will wallow in their tragedy and sadness and slowly wither away in pain. So, let’s dance for joy!!!!
posted July 20, 2010 at 12:05 pm
withyobadself: I’ve reported you several times for your abuse of this site. Obviously, there is something lacking within you when you say Zaydeh should have embraced death rather than celebrate his survival. He faced death every single day in that camp, and only by embracing his faith and not giving in to hopelessness and despair did he survive it. He has every reason to bless the Holy One for bringing him out of that hell by dancing in the face of his enemies.
posted July 20, 2010 at 12:20 pm
The dancing of Jews in that makom tumah called Auschwitz was transcendent. To see Mr. Korman do the boogie-woogie on that place as a LIVING JEW where his enemies wished him dead, was extremely powerful, and it’s customary for a Jew to dance at a simcha! Those Jews brought some kedusha to that horrible place. What higher simcha that to realize one is ALIVE? And so to DANCE. The Nazis yemach shemoi heaped atrocities upon us and the rest of the world. How do we respond? With revenge? No. And not even by flipping them off.
We just thank Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu, and simply dance from joy.
AM YISROEL CHAI!!!!!
posted July 20, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I often remind our Bible Study class of these pivotal moments. They are the events that have led to great change and growth. It will be significant to mention them all this week in our class.
What greater victory is there than to dance on the place where your enemy once swore your defeat! Hoorya, Huzzah, and L’Chaim to whoever dances over places that were once the harbor for evil. As Snoopy himself once said, “To dance is ti Live”. I believe this one man danced for all whose lives were lost and could not dance for themselves.
posted July 20, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Effinie..we all should embrace are death… jesus the jewish messiah spoke many times of welcoming our death…what do the jewish people who survived the killing feel??? they feel guilt that they survived… they feel guilt for turning on friends turning on eachother just to survive…where does this guilt for the selfish acts to survive come from??? god…god wants people to give their lives for others…god wants his children to have courage and faith…the people who died are with god and are more happier then a fool dancing to celebrate his cowardliness…
posted July 20, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Minor point…Gloria Gaynor sang “I Will Survive”, not Donna Summer. I believe Ms. Summer is trying to distance herself from the story.
posted July 20, 2010 at 8:56 pm
“We need not forget the past in order to move beyond it.”
Eva Kor couldn’t have said it any better – though I’m certain she would wholeheartedly agree.
posted July 20, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Donna Summer works hard for the money.
posted July 21, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Paul:
read before you tweet. A July 17 entry already pointed out that Gaynor, not Summer, sang “I will survive” !
posted July 21, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I too am thrilled by the survivor’s dancing….
i think it would be wonderful if every remaining
holocaust survivor could travel to every nazi cemetary
and dance on the graves of those monsters….
every german was NOT bad??
every german was NOT a nazi???
( ok ok for those bleeding hearts….there
WERE non Jews who saved Jews…G-d bless them )
every german who said and did nothing WAS a nazi….
was a monster….
they deserved more than they got….
and when the Messiah comes……Praise G-d’s Holy
and Powerful Name…….i hope ALL remaining nazis
WILL get what they deserve…..
Dance Adolk….dance…..
celebrate your survival AND your family……
and dance on the bones of every nazi there is
posted July 21, 2010 at 3:11 pm
mechel ben dov,you have typical jew point of view, may god kill all our enemies, sine we jews only belong to god. thank you god for killing the liar jesus, anyone who believes in what the crazy jew jesus said are Nazis.
posted July 21, 2010 at 3:21 pm
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posted July 21, 2010 at 9:05 pm
As a Christian, I’m writing to express my thanks to SUPER HEBREW for enlightening me on how a Jewish person can hate so effectively like the bigotry of a neo-nazie, KKK, minister Louis Farakan. My Lord Jesus would me want to pray for you, hope you don’t mind.
posted July 22, 2010 at 2:12 pm
withyobadself: you are the coward to wish for death before giving life a fighting chance. How barren and empty your life must be to want such a thing so badly that you’d wish it on others. And yes, there may be a modicum of guilt the survivors feel for simply surviving, but its tempered and strengthened by the enriched lives they have made for themselves since then, and their efforts to help the world understand and remember what those terrible camps did. Can you say the same for your life? What have you done to better the human condition in your corner of the world? Adopt a stray? Give to a food cupboard? Donate your time to a charitable cause? Visited a nursing home? Relief efforts in the Gulf? I seriously doubt it.
posted July 22, 2010 at 5:09 pm
effinie…i bring joy to women
posted July 25, 2010 at 6:50 pm
I do not mourn the loss of the Temple. I would fight any plan to re-build it on the Temple Mount. Love would give way to massacre by 100 million Muslims who consider their Mosque and The Dome of the Rock sacred. Further I believe that GOD decided that one central place of worship and a hereditary priesthood caused trouble and corruption, and desired the three destructions of the Temple. I strongly believe that the age of the synagogue and the ascendance of the Rabbis are a much better system. I also believe in Israel as a secular state, and wish the Fundamentalists to be a sect and have very little political say. In fact, I would exile the Naturei Karta, who deny that there is a state of Israel until the Messiah comes, don’t contribute to the State, and only recognize the dole they receive from the State.
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