Hakarat Hatov Reference Material
The Premiere of the First in an Ongoing Series of Presentations of the Signature Teachings of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis (z”l)
In 1986 Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis (z”l) eulogized his longtime friend, Hermann “Fritz” Graebe, a German Christian construction engineer, who in the early 1960’s had shared with the Rabbi the details of his cunning and untiring efforts to protect Jews in WWII Ukraine.
“He led me to the answer to a question which had gnawed at me: How do I transmit to my children the terrible truth of [the Holocaust] without crushing their trust, their hope? His acts [of humanity] made it possible for me and my children to balance Eichmann’s ‘banality of evil’ with the extraordinary ordinariness of goodness… “
That friendship led to the Rabbi’s multi-decade commitment to recognize the courageous and salvific actions of thousands of Righteous Gentiles during the days of living hell for Jews under Nazi rule.
The exhibit’s materials and artifacts are organized into sections as outlined below, following the order of the audio tour. Please click on “CLICK HERE” to hear an individual audio.
Hakarat Hatov The Recognition of Goodness: Rabbi Schulweis’Multi-Year Mission
Rabbi Schulweis struggled to deal with depth of Jewish despair after the Holocaust. By chance he met a man who had been German civilian contractor during World World 2, saved thousands of Jews, and testified at the Nuremberg trials. That encounter convinced him of the importance of recognizing acts to protect Jews by the thousands of Righteous Gentiles subsequently discovered, not only for the Jewish psyche but also for the history of those dark days.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUDIO
Creation of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
Rabbi Schulweis was determined to create an organization that would be devoted to finding and recognizing and financially supporting righteous individuals who had worked to protest persecution of Jews and save Jews from extermination during the war. The audio includes Rabbi Schulweis telling how he struggled to obtain the initial funding for what became the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous. CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUDIO
Bulgaria’s efforts to shield its Jews
Rabbi Schulweis discovered that Bulgarian citizens, clerics, and members of parliament had taken measures to protect thousands of Jews. The exhibit includes examples of flyers distributed at protest demonstrations objecting to persecution of the Jewish population. A Bulgarian Shabbat at Valley Beth Shalom in 2002 was held to publicize those efforts and publicly recognize heroic Bulgarian clerics and citizens who were honored at that program.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUDIO
The story of Hermann “Fritz” Graebe
Hermann “Fritz” Graebe was the only German to testify voluntarily at the Nuremberg trials, and had to flee Germany and came to the United States. Rabbi Schulweis encountered him by chance and heard the story that inspired the Rabbi to work to recognize individuals who had saved Jews during the war. In 1979, Graebe was honored by Rabbi Schulweis at a service at Valley Beth Shalom. “I only wish I could have done more” he said during his talk at VBS.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUDIO.
The story of Alex and Mela Roslan and their lives in the Warsaw Ghetto with their Jewish adoptees
Rabbi Schulweis relates how Alex and Mela Roslan, Christians in Warsaw, adopted 3 Jewish brothers, going to extraordinary lengths to deal with their illnesses, hiding them at great risk right under the eyes of the Nazis. They were honored at a special ceremony at VBS and were included in a CBS “60 Minutes” program that also included an interview with Rabbi Schulweis.
CLICK HERE TO HEAR AUDIO
Rabbi Schulweis: Words, Writings on Hakarat Hatov and Other Resources
The Schulweis Library Collection/The Harold M. Schulweis Institute has collected an extensive list of sources of further information relating to this area of the Rabbi’s works. Use the button below to access an extensive listing of reference materials.
