Dr. Ruth Westheimer Reflects on the Meaning of Being Jewish

In a powerful personal essay published in an American Jewish Committee (AJC) advertisement in The New York Times, renowned psychologist and broadcaster Dr. Ruth Westheimer shared her deeply moving perspective on the significance of her Jewish identity.

As a Holocaust survivor who lost her family to the Nazi atrocities, Dr. Westheimer’s words carry immense weight and poignancy. She speaks of the “special glow” she feels when looking at her grandchildren, Ari and Leora, knowing that the Nazis had sought to ensure they would never be born.

“They represent for me small victories in the continuing struggle against evil, especially the evil of anti-Semitism,” Dr. Westheimer writes. She reflects on the postscript of the film Schindler’s List, which highlighted how the 1,200 Jews saved by Oskar Schindler now have more than 6,000 descendants. “What if millions had been saved?” she ponders.

For Dr. Westheimer, each Jewish child born represents a “blessed link in the long chain of Jewish life stretching back to Abraham and Sarah.” She laments the “generations that, because of the Nazi Holocaust, will not be born,” a profound loss that has seared her soul.

Despite the hatred and attempts to destroy the Jewish people, Dr. Westheimer emphasizes that Jews “never permitted that hatred to determine who we are or what we stand for.” She takes pride in the Jewish tradition of repairing the world, transforming hatred into love, and teaching justice and peace.

The phrase “Am Yisrael chai” – “The Jewish people lives” – holds deep meaning for Dr. Westheimer, a testament to the resilience and enduring spirit of the Jewish people. She concludes by endorsing the biblical commandment to “be fruitful and multiply,” a sentiment that resonates as a defiant response to the Nazis’ efforts to eradicate the Jewish people.

Dr. Westheimer’s essay serves as a poignant reminder of the profound impact of the Holocaust, the importance of preserving Jewish identity and heritage, and the unwavering determination of the Jewish people to overcome even the darkest of tragedies.

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