Park, Andrew
Mrs. Foss
English 9 Honors Per. 6
9/15/14
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is the Jewish holiday where those involved in the faith fast from the sunset of one day to the evening of the next day. Faithful Jewish people that are healthy and are 13 years of age are recommended to participate. When people are under terrible conditions where they are underfed and overworked, they shouldn’t. Therefore the oppressed Jews in the concentration camps should not be celebrating Yom Kippur, because of the subhuman conditions that they are placed in.
What is the point of fasting when you’re body is in a terrible condition as it is. God may be trialing their race, but I don’t believe that the higher power would want others to die for their devotion to him/her. Some would say that people should not abandon their faith, no matter how grim it may seem. This should only apply in certain situations, since the holocaust was bad enough as it is for the Jews, the people being kept in concentration camps would be just plain idiots if they are going to risk their lives even further by fasting.
Many prisoners not only from the toxic gas or cold temperature, but malnutrition as well.
In
Night
, Elie Weasel decided to not fast during the period that was Yom Kippur. It was smart of the character, since it is anything but ideal to fast in times of hunger. “I have not lost faith in
God. I have moments of anger and protest. Sometimes I've been closer to him for that reason.”