DIASPORA

The cupola of Berlin’s New at Oranienburger street, which the Germany-to-Israel mission will visit, stands out in the city landscape. (Reuters)

A journey of renewal

Rabbi speaks about Germany and Israel and Ohr Stone’s upcoming trip

By SARAH LEVIN grew from the ashes of Auschwitz. The eter- together; marvel at photojournalist David should be living; that whatever happens in nalness of the Jewish people, the message of Rubinger’s account of his eye-opening his- the Diaspora would be, at best, a footnote to e’s taken on countless challenges the Jewish people and the Torah of the torical backstories; and shake hands with Jewish history. And in Israel, the chapter and projects throughout his illus- Jewish people lives on, even in Hitler’s own Israel’s policymakers from Defense Minister headings are being written. And I felt that if Htrious career, but Rabbi Shlomo backyard.” Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon, to Jerusalem Mayor I had one chance in life, I would like be part Riskin’s highlight may be the journey he The mission will take participants on a Nir Barkat, to the architect of the West Bank of a chapter heading – rather than a part of plans to lead, with a Jewish renewal mis- journey tracing the rise of the Nazi Party: a security barrier, Col. (res.) Danny Tirza. a footnote.” sion, to Germany and Israel in May. look back to Hitler’s power base, the “The Israel component is simple, this is “The message is the fact that the Jewish The chief rabbi of Efrat, chancellor of Ohr Hofbrauhaus in Munich, the marketplace, where Ohr Torah Stone is based and we are people ultimately won the war, and how do Torah Stone Institutions and a central rab- Odeon Plaza and the Residenz Palace; and celebrating at home – our own home, and you prove that? You come back; it’s the binic figure of the last few decades (as well as look forward to hope and renewal at the the home of all ,” said Riskin. Jewish continuity, and the Jewish future. a Jerusalem Post columnist), Riskin has new Jewish community center, synagogue, “Our first exile, the Egyptian experience, “I think it will be a trip no one will ever touched the lives of tens of thousands of schools and museum. was a 210-year holocaust in which our forget.” people around the Jewish world. “Ohr Torah Stone currently has 11 emis- Hebrew adults were sent to hellish work The Germany-to-Israel mission will be taking In celebration of Ohr Torah Stone’s 30th sary rabbis in Germany inspiring lost Jews to camps, and our male infants thrown into place from May 19 to 22 in Germany, and from anniversary, Riskin is spearheading a mile- reclaim their heritage, reigniting the Jewish the Nile. On Seder night we remember the May 23 to 28 in Israel. For more information stone mission to look at Germany’s Jewish sparks in their hearts and souls and in many pain; we eat bitter herbs and dip into saltwa- visit the Ohr Torah Stone website at www. communities, heritage sites and national cases even converting [the descendants of ter tears. ots.org.il, or its landmarks, paying tribute to deep Jewish Jews] back to Judaism. Even in Hitler’s own “But the Seder is a night of victory. We Facebook page at roots and to the worst anti-Semitism the country, he didn’t succeed in vanquishing emerged triumphant over Pharaoh. Our www.face- world has ever known. the Jewish people or the Torah,” said Riskin. God bested the Egyptian idols. And our peo- book.com/ The mission will focus on the integral Additional stops will include Frankfurt, ple emerged free of enslavement and on the OTS30th. Torah rebirth in Hitler’s own cities, and the including reflections on the history and way to Israel. Our victory in Egypt, and our impact Ohr Torah Stone has had on unify- destruction in Dachau, at the first concen- victory over Hitler, power the way for our ing, strengthening and ensuring the future tration camp; in Worms, where biblical optimistic faith in our mission to redeem survival of the Jewish people abroad and at commentator Rashi wrote and taught; at the world.” home. According to Riskin, the idea of the the Gutenberg Press that revolutionized According to Riskin, there were two mission is to reflect on roots and rejuvena- Jewish learning in Mainz; and the commu- defining moments in modern Jewish tion, and to see sites firsthand, thus provid- nity of Kanaan in Darmstadt. history – the Holocaust, and the return ing participants with a new view of Jewish The next leg begins in Berlin, where dis- to the Jewish state. Ohr Torah Stone has heritage. covering the “higher meaning of suffering played an important role in develop- “I cannot think of a place that better illus- and persecution” includes the Grunewald ing the latter. trates Jewish survival than Germany. In deportation Track 17; the villa of the “My original vision was every war, there’s a winner and a loser. Wannsee Conference; the Jewish Quarter [born from the fact] that I Sometimes the winner loses many lives,” and museum; the Holocaust memorial; the was a Jew who was Riskin told The Jerusalem Post. “The war that encapsulated Oranienburger Strasse privileged to live in the Hitler waged, we lost six million of our most Synagogue; Checkpoint Charlie; the year of the establishment sacred people, of our most sacred souls. And Bebelplatz where books were burned; and of the Jewish state,” said yet, we dare never forget that we won that the Parliament of the German Empire, Riskin. “And that I war. located in the Reichstag Building. believed this is where I “Hitler is dead, Nazism is dead, but the When the group travels to Israel, it will Jewish people are alive. The State of Israel celebrate Shabbat and Jerusalem Day Rabbi Shlomo Riskin (Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Israel Post) (Marc FEBRUARY 21 – 27, 2014 | THE INTERNATIONAL JERUSALEM POST 23