Out of the Depths

The Holocaust has presented us with innumerable questions that we wrestle with today.  How could such systematic evil be perpetuated in a country renowned for its sophistication in all areas of the sciences and the arts? How could the world turn a blind eye to what was happening and close its doors to potential victims? How could ordinary people participate in this horror? How could others act to save Jews at the risk of their own lives and the lives of their families? How could those facing imminent destruction continue to study agricultural techniques useful to the future of Israel or teach their children how to paint? It is my hope that these plays will serve to focus on some of these questions, even as we witness new genocidal wars around the world. There is an imperative here as old as the Biblical account of Genesis. It is for us to affirm the goodness of the world as it is—the potential goodness of human nature—and the need to create (and procreate) even in the force of destruction and death.