You are the first person in the seven offerings of this course thus far, Nathan, to perceive Wiesenthal's situation from the perspective of self-forgiveness. I find your hypothesis to be persuasive, and your introspections to be illuminative. (Precision - i.e., utter accuracy of perspective - is not attainable in such relative (aka you-had-to-be-there) situations.) You have given me an opening to share what psychologist William James called a "white crow" - namely, that the existence of a single white crow is sufficient to disprove the statement that all crows are black. The white crow in this instance was the consistently forgiving attitude of a Dutch Jewish woman throughout the ordeal that eventually led to her extermination, thereby tending to disprove the proposition that the Holocaust is unforgivable. We know of this woman, named Etty Hillseum, via the posthumous publication of her diary and letters. No less remarkable in her testimony than Anne Frank - and some would say more so - her final proclamation was, "We should be willing to act as a balm for all wounds." Etty was a beneficial presence to all concerned even in the face of her impending extermination, demonstrating one of the greatest examples of forgiveness-while-*in-extremis* that is a matter of record via what historians call "primary documentation." Etty's experience of the Holocaust was in such contrast to Wiesenthal's that yet another hard question is posed: Is there more than one right way to respond to the “unforgivable”? For more on Etty Hillesum see: Brief bio: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/08.14.97/cover/lit4-9733.html Quotes from Etty's letters and diaries: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/etty_hillesum.html Reviews of the book, “An Interrupted Life,” compiled from Etty's diaries and letters (be sure to cut and paste this entire URL in your browser if it doesn't come out "hot"): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805050876/qid=1020955302/sr=1-1/ref= sr_1_1/102-8507617-9648937 A lyceum dedicated to Etty's memory: http://www.ettyhillesumlyceum.nl/engels/index.html There is additional testimony as well, which is at least suggestive of forgiving perspectives held by some who were immersed in the hellacious conditions of the Holocaust. Victor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, is evidence of such possibility, for it was during his own death camp experience that he gestated the transpersonal therapy (logotherapy) presented in that book. Bruno Bettelheim’s book, The Informed Heart, is likewise in part a “product” of the Holocaust experience. And another "diary" of sorts was left behind by little children who drew butterflies on the walls of the chambers in which they knowingly awaited their turn in the ovens. A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON THE HOLOCAUST Dear colleagues in forgiveness, One perspective on the Holocaust does not appear in Wiesenthal's book, because those who held it were among the persons who perished therein. One of them, however, left a diary that many find even more remarkable than Anne Frank's, and whose concluding sentence is: "We should be willing to act as a balm for all wounds." Is it possible to be forgiving of such hellacious conditions in the midst thereof? Victor Frankl’s book, Man’s Search for Meaning, is evidence of such possibility, for it was during his own death camp experience that he gestated the transpersonal therapy (logotherapy) presented in that book. Bruno Bettelheim’s book, The Informed Heart, is likewise in part a “product” of the Holocaust experience. And another "diary" of sorts was left behind by the little children who left behind drawings of butterflies on the walls of the waiting rooms in which they knowingly awaited their turn in the ovens. Likewise remarkable is the example of Etty Hillesum, a Dutch Jew who was a beneficial presence to all concerned even in the face of her impending extermination. Etty demonstrated one of the greatest examples of forgiveness-while-*in-extremis* that is a matter of record via what historians call "primary documentation." Her experience of the Holocaust was in such contrast to Wiesenthal's that yet another hard question is posed: Is there more than one right way to respond to the “unforgivable”? For more on Etty Hillesum see: Brief bio: http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/08.14.97/cover/lit4-9733.html Quotes from Etty's letters and diaries: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/etty_hillesum.html Reviews of the book, “An Interrupted Life,” compiled from Etty's diaries and letters (be sure to cut and paste this entire URL in your browser if it doesn't come out "hot"): http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805050876/qid=1020955302/sr=1-1/ref= sr_1_1/102-8507617-9648937 A lyceum dedicated to Etty's memory: http://www.ettyhillesumlyceum.nl/engels/index.html Putting forgiveness first, Noel McInnis noelmcinnis@forgivenessfirst.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO LOG ON TO YOUR COURSE SITE: Go to: http://www.alllearn.org/ NEED HELP? For all Inquires: 1-866-524-1502 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada or email us at help@AllLearn.org. For all other countries, please send us your phone number by emailing us at help@AllLearn.org and we will contact you.