אנשי אמנה

First, here is the text of Bereshit 17: וַיְהִי אַבְרָם, בֶּן-תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים; וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי-אֵל שַׁדַּי--הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי, וֶהְיֵה תָמִים. וְאֶתְּנָה בְרִיתִי, בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ; וְאַרְבֶּה אוֹתְךָ, בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד. וַיִּפֹּל אַבְרָם, עַל-פָּנָיו; וַיְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ אֱלֹהִים, לֵאמֹר. אֲנִי, הִנֵּה בְרִיתִי אִתָּךְ; וְהָיִיתָ, לְאַב הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם. וְלֹא-יִקָּרֵא עוֹד אֶת-שִׁמְךָ, אַבְרָם; וְהָיָה שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָהָם, כִּי אַב-הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם נְתַתִּיךָ. וְהִפְרֵתִי אֹתְךָ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד, וּנְתַתִּיךָ לְגוֹיִם; וּמְלָכִים, מִמְּךָ יֵצֵאוּ. וַהֲקִמֹתִי אֶת-בְּרִיתִי בֵּינִי וּבֵינֶךָ, וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ לְדֹרֹתָם--לִבְרִית עוֹלָם: לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים, וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ. וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ אֵת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֶיךָ, אֵת כָּל-אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, לַאֲחֻזַּת, עוֹלָם; וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם, לֵאלֹהִים. וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-אַבְרָהָם, וְאַתָּה אֶת-בְּרִיתִי תִשְׁמֹר--אַתָּה וְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ, לְד...

Return, faithless Israel, declares the LORD. I will not look on you in anger, for I am merciful, declares the LORD ; I will not be angry forever. Only acknowledge your guilt, that you rebelled against the LORD your God and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree, and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the LORD . Return, O faithless children, declares the LORD; for I am your master; I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion . Yeremyahu 3:12-14

Rav Kook did not know the name of the disease caused by the pogroms of the exile. But it is clear to us now. The Jewish nation has PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. No other nation has suffered this much. No other nation has elicited so much bare evil. The post-Christian evil of Hitler et al. has been proven to outdo the pre-Christian evil of Rome, and all the Christian pogroms in their various kinds. Barely a century after their invention, trains were used to transport Jews, to the gas chambers, using gas that came into existence only a few decennia before. This was the evil waiting for its chance. And we know, because we have learned, that evil is still waiting. The Iranians, the Turkish, the Arabs, all are waiting for a chance to finish what the Russians and Europeans began. But they should know that we are survivors, we indeed have PTSD, Powerful Technological Strategic Defense-systems. The enemies of Israel will submit, to eternal will, to our will. We will not allow this t...

Abraham Sarfatij and Franciska Weening married in Amsterdam, Holland, on 29 August 1925. Abraham was a Chazan in a Portuguese-Israelite synagogue. Here is what happened to them, and to their six children. Their oldest son, Joseph Sarfatij, born 21 December 1926, was murdered in Sobibor, Poland, on 21 May 1943. He was 16 years old. The other children, Rosa, Israel Abraham, Annetta, Benjamin, Ruth Clara were transported to Oświęcim, Poland, together with their parents, Abraham and Franciska. Oświęcim is also known as Auschwitz. There they were collectively murdered, on 27 August 1943. There is no remnant of this family. I will show grace to whom I shall show grace. I will be merciful to whom I shall be merciful. I will be who I shall be (Shemot 33:19, 3:14).

Abraham Hoorenman and Claartje Hartog IJzer were first cousins. Their parents were Godschalk Abraham Hoorenman and Judik Abraham IJzer Levie, and Hartog Abraham IJzer and Boela Mozes van Oesteren, respectively. Abraham and Claartje married on 18 November 1863 in Amsterdam, Holland. Abraham was a diamant cutter. Here is what happened to their children and grandchildren, and in-laws. My name is Clara Coronel. My husband's name is Abraham Vischschraper. My parents were Benjamin Coronel and Judith Hoorenman. I was born 5 September 1895, in Amsterdam. I was murdered in Oświęcim, Poland, on 19 November 1943. I was 48 years old. My name is Abraham Vischschraper. My wife's name is Clara Coronel. My parents were Benjamin Vischschraper and Esther Piemontel. I was born on 22 August 1886, in Antwerp, Belgium. I was murdered in Oświęcim, Poland, on 19 November 1943. I was 57 years old. My name is Hanna Beem. My husband's name is David Coronel. My parents were Abraham Beem and Blancha...