Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg, a child of Holocaust survivors and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Beth-El, Edison, New Jersey, received his ordination and Doctorate of Education from Yeshiva University in New York.Among his books are “Theological and Halakhic Reflections on the Holocaust,” now in its second printing, “A Guide for the Jewish Mourner,” “Contemplating the Holocaust,” “What the Holocaust Means to Me: Teenagers Speak Out,” and more.

The Holocaust was the systematic mass murder of European Jewry carried out by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The word “Holocaust” literally refers to a fire that causes total destruction. Yehuda Bauer, one of the world’s most eminent Holocaust historians, differentiates between genocide and the Holocaust, defining genocide as partial murder. Tragically, history has witnessed numerous genocides; however, the Holocaust remains unique, as it was the only time that the complete annihilation of an entire people was an official, government-sanctioned policy.

The Nazis aimed to conquer the world, and central to their vision was the total extermination of the Jewish people. Yes, nearly 50 million human beings were indeed murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators, including Romani (Gypsies), homosexuals, the mentally and physically disabled, Jehovah’s Witnesses, communists, socialists, trade unionists, Catholic priests, prisoners of war, Poles, Russians, and many other groups. Yet only the Jews were specifically targeted for what the Nazis called the “Final Solution.”

According to Hitler, Jews were maggots—a destructive virus that threatened humanity itself. Hitler portrayed himself as the German Messiah, performing what he perversely considered divine work: the elimination of the Jews. All individuals with three or four Jewish grandparents were sentenced to death under Nazi law.

While other populations, including Slavic peoples, suffered greatly and were considered inferior, the Nazis never intended their complete extermination. Certain Slavic nations, such as Slovaks, Croats, and Bulgarians, even served as allies of Nazi Germany. Only the Jews were seen as the embodiment of evil, equated directly with Satan. In Hitler’s twisted worldview, it was exclusively the Jews who conspired to dominate and poison the entire world, making their destruction his obsessive priority.

Hitler and his regime carried out selective mass murder against numerous targeted groups. Still, it was the Jew who was viewed as a bacillus—a deadly infection threatening humanity. The Nazis’ goal of creating a “Judenrein” world—a world free of Jews—extended globally. Hitler was consumed by his hatred of Jews, even to the point of diverting critical wartime resources and troops to death camps when they were urgently needed on the battlefield. Germany itself was brought to ruin by this fanatical hatred, and yet in his final hours, Hitler remained fixated on murdering Jews.

Yom Hashoah challenges us to remember not only the catastrophic magnitude of the Holocaust but also its enduring lessons. While October 7 is not the Holocaust, we must apply the lessons learned from the Holocaust to fully grasp and respond meaningfully to the traumatic and devastating encounters between Hamas terrorists and their victims on that day.

The Holocaust teaches us the consequences of unchecked hatred and reminds us of our moral obligation to recognize, confront, and resist evil wherever it arises.