6. The Shoah as a Shadow upon and a Stimulus to Jewish-Christian Dialogue
6. The Shoah as a Shadow upon and a Stimulus to Jewish-Christian Dialogue
It is not an exaggeration to claim that the Shoah, or Holocaust, inasmuch as it represents the climax of a long history of anti-Judaism and antisemitism of Christian Europe, constitutes the most painful issue and the most unsettling problem among those Jews and those Christians who are involved in a serious and sincere interreligious dialogue. Christians can and must listen to the critique of Christianity that some important thinkers of contemporary Judaism have developed in light of the tragedy of the Shoah. The Shoah was the climax of a long history of anti-Judaism and it is perhaps necessary to stop and reflect upon the religious significance of that attempt of total extermination of the Jewish people. Religious authorities, and especially the pastoral and theological leadership of the churches, must ensure that a new awareness is developed of the deep link between Jews and Christians in the wake of that terrible attempt to cut forever, at the root, the plant of Israel.
Keywords: Shoah, Holocaust, Jews, Christians, dialogue, antisemitism, Christianity, Judaism, Israel
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