This I Believe

I believe that G_d created all humans to be kind and caring for each other. I don’t think we were brought into this world to be separated by pointless differences. I think G_d sends out many tests to us to judge just how well we can form a community. Everything happens for a reason. No matter how tragic an event may be, something good has to come out of it. For example, I think 9/11 occurred because G_d was testing our community. It’s very hard to come around to this idea, but somehow, we all have to benefit from sad things happening to us. After all, no one would want all of our lost souls to die in vain. There is a reason why some Americans just barely survived. There has to be. US citizens didn’t make the ultimate sacrifice for nothing to come out of it.


In the spring, I went to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. Many of my relatives died in the Holocaust. I went in to the museum completely naïve about the world around me. I truly couldn’t comprehend why one human would want to do those things to another human. I couldn’t take seeing all of those innocent faces. That day, I wanted to go to my room and cry. But, then I realized; there’s a reason why all of this happened. There’s a reason why some of my ancestors survived. G_d wanted me to see this. G_d wanted me to grow stronger. G_d wanted me to make sure, “never again” means what it’s supposed to mean. G_d didn’t create this world a perfect place. G_d didn’t create humans perfect. G_d created a world that imperfect humans could shape for themselves, and through experience, make this imperfect world a better place.

With the last two paragraphs being stated, I must admit, my faith hasn’t always been strong. My faith has been tested, bent, and almost broken before. When I went to the USHMM, I couldn’t believe my G_d would allow things like that to happen to these people, my people. I hadn’t thought of the Holocaust and G_d’s control over mankind the way I do now. All I could think about were the poor and hungry children. All I could see was a young boy’s face.

However, after seeing these terrible, hideous things, I realized that, as human beings, we are a community. For better or for worse. The Jews dying in the Holocaust weren’t just my people, they were our people. If we don’t strive to be a community, we’ll never stand up united. We’ll never survive.