Thoughts on the Holocaust - George Feher

How could it have happened?

The question haunted George Feher, all his adult life. Belonging to the generation whose life was impacted by the Holocaust yet never talked about, Feher finally faced the question. The result is a book as carefully researched as his lifelong award-winning science projects, with a narrative brought alive by the author’s experiences and his insightful questioning.

The subject matter Feher covers is vast in range: He examines the historical origins and evolution of anti-Semitism, from the religious to the ethnic to the political. He delves into the story of Hitler’s rise and fall and its worldwide ramifications, with personal instances of what it meant: for example, he tells of the anxieties brought on by Rommel’s conquests in North Africa, just a few hundred kilometers away from Palestine where Feher, a teen-age escapee from Slovakia, believed he had found safety. He thoughtfully analyzes Hitler’s “mistakes” that saved the world from perishing. And he asks: “Why is this Holocaust different from all other Holocausts?”…“Or is it?”, taking us with him to Darfur and Rwanda, and on to an exploration of other genocides. With a heavy heart he ponders the amorality of the free world’s inaction: passively standing by as 6 million Jews were slaughtered. He discusses the circumstances that engender genocides, and elaborates a code of behavior not just for nations, but for individuals.

In this book, written in an attempt to come to grips with the incredible, barbaric, and inhumane event that has haunted him throughout his adult life, the author takes us on his journey: the journey of his life, his mind, and his heart.