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While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was taken one day from his work detail to the bedside of a dying member of the SS. Haunted by the crimes in which he had participated, the soldier wanted to confess to—and obtain absolution from—a Jew. Faced with the choice between compassion and justice, silence and truth, Wiesenthal said nothing. But even years after the way had ended, he wondered: Had he done the right thing? What would you have done in his place?
In this important book, fifty-three distinguished men and women respond to Wiesenthal's questions. They are theologians, political leaders, writers, jurists, psychiatrists, human rights activists, Holocaust survivors, and victims of attempted genocides in Bosnia, Cambodia, China and Tibet. Their responses, as varied as their experiences of the world, remind us that Wiesenthal's questions are not limited to events of the past. Often surprising and always thought provoking, The Sunflower will challenge you to define your beliefs about justice, compassion, and human responsibility.
| Preface | ||
| Bk. 1 | The Sunflower | 1 |
| Bk. 2 | The Symposium | 99 |
| Sven Alkalaj | 101 | |
| Jean Amery | 105 | |
| Smail Balic | 109 | |
| Moshe Bejski | 111 | |
| Alan L. Berger | 118 | |
| Robert McAfee Brown | 121 | |
| Harry James Cargas | 124 | |
| Robert Coles | 126 | |
| The Dalai Lama | 129 | |
| Eugene J. Fisher | 130 | |
| Edward H. Flannery | 135 | |
| Eva Fleischner | 138 | |
| Matthew Fox | 143 | |
| Mark Goulden | 148 | |
| Hans Habe | 153 | |
| Yossi Klein Halevi | 157 | |
| Arthur Hertzberg | 160 | |
| Theodore M. Hesburgh | 163 | |
| Abraham Joshua Heschel | 164 | |
| Christopher Hollis | 166 | |
| Rodger Kamenetz | 171 | |
| Cardinal Franz Konig | 172 | |
| Harold S. Kushner | 174 | |
| Lawrence L. Langer | 177 | |
| Primo Levi | 181 | |
| Deborah E. Lipstadt | 183 | |
| Franklin H. Littell | 187 | |
| Hubert G. Locke | 191 | |
| Erich H. Loewy | 194 | |
| Herbert Marcuse | 198 | |
| Martin E. Marty | 199 | |
| Cynthia Ozick | 204 | |
| John T. Pawlikowski | 211 | |
| Dennis Prager | 216 | |
| Dith Pran | 221 | |
| Terence Prittie | 223 | |
| Joshua Rubenstein | 225 | |
| Dorothee Soelle | 229 | |
| Albert Speer | 231 | |
| Manes Sperber | 232 | |
| Andre Stein | 236 | |
| Nechama Tec | 241 | |
| Joseph Telushkin | 248 | |
| Tzvetan Todorov | 250 | |
| Arthur Waskow | 252 | |
| Harry Wu | 255 | |
| Contributors | 259 |
2. Eva Fleischner found that almost without exception, her Christian students "come out in favor of forgiveness, while the Jewish students feel that Simon did the right thing by not granting the dying man's wish" (p. 139). Do you feel that the Christian and Jewish writers in this volume are similarly divided? Do their differences stem from first-hand experience, or from different notions of sin and repentance, as Dennis Prager suggests? Do any writers in this book seriously suggest forgiveness??and why? Do you believe, with political theorist Herbert Marcuse, that "the easy forgiving of such crimes perpetuates the very evil it wants to alleviate" (p. 198)?
3. Did the mother of the SS man, by her passivity, acquiesce in her son's crimes? Wiesenthal says that people who wanted "only peace and quiet" were "the mounting blocks by which the criminals climbed to power and kept it" (p. 91). Most of the authors in this volume believe that Wiesenthal did the right thing in not telling her about her son's crimes. Psychotherapist Andre Stein, however, disagrees, saying that "Simon had a responsibility toward past and future victims to tell her the truth. And Karl's mother had the responsibility of rising above her personal pain and telling the world what her son had done" (p. 240). Which point of view do you agree with?
4. "I asked myself if it was only the Nazis who had persecuted us. Was it not just as wicked for people to look on quietly and without protest at human beings enduring such shocking humiliation?" (p. 57). Some of the commentators believe that those who were following orders were just as guilty as those who gave them; others, like Dith Pran, draw a moral line between followers and leaders. Would you hold them equally responsible?
5. "Without forgetting there can be no forgiving," says retired Israeli Supreme Court Justice Moshe Bejski (p. 116); the Dalai Lama, on the other hand, believes that one must forgive but not necessarily forget. Do you think it is possible to forgive and not forget? How would you differentiate forgiveness and reconciliation?
6. Wiesenthal's friend Josek tells him that no one can offer forgiveness on behalf of another victim. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel writes, "No one can forgive crimes committed against other people" (p. 165). Wiesenthal is not so sure. "Aren't we a single community with the same destiny, and one must answer for the other?" he asks (p. 65). It is a question echoed by the Catholic writer Christopher Hollis when he posits that insofar as Karl's crime was part of "a general campaign of genocide, the author was as much a victim—or likely to be soon a victim—of that campaign as was the child, and, being a sufferer, had therefore the right to forgive" (p. 169). Which point of view do you find more persuasive, Hollis's or Heschel's?
7. Many of the Symposium contributors believe that even as he lay dying, Karl saw the Jews as objects or subhumans, and that his wish to confess to a Jew, any Jew, and a concentration camp prisoner at that, showed that he had learned nothing from his experiences. Do you agree with this?
8. Why does Wiesenthal dream about the little boy Eli (p. 68)?
9. "There are many kinds of silence," Wiesenthal states (p. 97). What messages, positive and negative, does Wiesenthal's own silence convey? What does it tell the dying man? What does it tell to you, the reader?
10. Eugene J. Fisher believes that "we have no right to put Jewish survivors in the impossible moral position of offering forgiveness, implicitly, in the name of the six million. Placing a Jew in this anguished position further victimizes him or her. This, in my reading, was the final sin of the dying Nazi" (pp. 132-33). Literature professor Lawrence L. Langer and writer Primo Levi share this opinion. Do you agree?
11. Jean Amery, Mark Goulden and Cynthia Ozick insist that Karl and the other Nazis should never under any circumstances be forgiven. Do you find their arguments harsh or just?
12. Theologian Robert McAfee Brown acknowledges that "perhaps there are situations where sacrificial love, with forgiveness at the heart of it, can make a difference, and can even empower" (pp. 122-123). He cites Nelson Mandela and Tomas Borge as examples of men who have forgiven wrongs that many might see as unforgivable. Do you think that Mandela's and Borge's situations are comparable with Wiesenthal's? Where do the differences lie?
13. If you believe that Karl should be forgiven, apply Harry James Cargas's reductio ad absurdum (p. 125): If Hitler had repented, should he be forgiven? Why or why not?
14. Is Harry Wu's reaction to Comrade Ma (pp. 255-58) relevant to Wiesenthal's feelings toward Karl?
15. How does collective guilt differ from national guilt? Do you believe that future generations should continue to feel remorse for a previous generation's crimes? Martin E. Marty compares the national guilt visited upon the postwar generation in Germany with our own national guilt for the institution of slavery and the genocide of Native Americans, and questions whether the perpetuation of such feelings is healthy. Do you agree with his position?
16. What do you think of President Reagan's visit to the SS cemetery in Bitberg, Germany? Has reading this book changed your opinions?
17. "I wonder if Simon did not receive his vocation from this dying SS man," writes Episcopal priest Matthew Fox (p. 146). Does this seem a reasonable theory to you? Do you agree with Fox's belief that in hunting down former Nazis, Wiesenthal is actually offering them the opportunity for a moral conversion?
18. Does Simon Wiesenthal's life's work as a Nazi hunter constitute his own response to the question he poses in this book?
If you're looking for a book that makes you question the very core of your soul, this is it. Powerful and moving, this novel recounts the life of a nazi soldier and jewish prisoner during WWII. This book sparked a lot of debate between me and my friends. Was the prisoner right in his actions? Was the soldier out of line? When is it ok to forgive, and who is at liberty to forgive some of the atrocities that occurred? Half the book is the true story between the soldier and prisoner; the other is a symposium from people from all walks of life (professors, religious leaders, etc.) answering the question the author's question: What would you have done in my shoes?
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Jan 16 00:00:00 EST 2006
This was one of the best books I have ever read. I found Weisenthal's dilemma challenging. As Christians, I was taught to emmulate Christ and to forgive our enemies 70 times 7. But does that include extending absolution for crimes against those who can no longer speak for themselves? Where does personal responsibility begin in a world gone insane and dominated by groupthink? Can an individual speak on behalf of a people so persecuted? These are just a few of the questions this book made me think about (and I continue to ponder). I find myself thinking one thing, I look at the book again and find new questions and different answers each time. Even as I read different responses from others, I see a new dimension to the question. I highly recommend this book.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu May 11 00:00:00 EDT 2006
As a Jew that was not brought up very religious I really learned a lot about how both religions view forgiveness and repentance. I would definitely recommend this book for everybody.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Mar 29 00:00:00 EDT 2013
I read this book over 5 years ago and am re-reading it. I am finding it even more engrossing and challenging than the first read. This is a book to be studied and discussed.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun Mar 14 00:00:00 EST 2010
First half of book was interesting, but got bored in the last half of book.
2 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Nov 28 00:00:00 EST 2002
'To forgive or not to forgive' that is the question this author poses to people of different backgrounds and different faiths. The responses are beautiful, profound, and heart-wrenching. You will not be disappointed in the faith-filled pages of this book. A Triumph!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Apr 19 00:00:00 EDT 2002
The story of the 'sunflower' is itself worthy of reading this book. However, the dilemnas and questions and reactions Wiesenthal must deal with present a new opportunity for the reader to view the Holocaust and other atrocities in a way that I have never seen presented before. As a post-MEd student with a life long interest in the reasons behind man's inhumanity toward man, this book is a must read. The 53 responses of others who have been situated in horrific life situations are an invaluable contribution to this book.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2012
Amazing
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2011
The Sunflower is a book of enormous inspiration. Everyone should own this book and read it very often. I've read this one at least 1/2 a dozen times and will continue to go back to it. Also, I've enjoyed this book so much that I've given it to 4 people already and I will gift it again in the future. A truly beautiful and excellent examination of conscience.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Sun May 03 00:00:00 EDT 2009
Mr. Wiesentthal does a great job in presenting his battle and allows the reader to feel and understand his pain and suffer. The short writings that follow his actual narrative are also very informative and interesting. The book turn the reader to face himself and question himself. The book serves as a guide of different opinions. I truly don't think that an individual can answer the question of forgivness unless put in similar situations.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Aug 22 00:00:00 EDT 2005
Mr. Wiesenthal's story is one of the most difficult I have ever read and one that I am so very grateful that I did read.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Thu Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 2005
What Would you do? This is the main question that is asked in the book. A story that involves the ideas of forgiveness and guilt. How would you respond to a question asking for the fogiveness of an entire population. A must read especially if you are in to Holocaust History.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Fri Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Well written, thought provoking, I applaud Mr. Wiesenthal for sharing this experience with us. We can all learn from the past and this contains powerful lessons. I really appreciated the commentaries that were added when the book was republished in the 1990's, especially Mr. Levin's. Thank you for writing this book.
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Posted Tue Sep 23 00:00:00 EDT 2014
She nods quietly.
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Posted Sun Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2014
With what?
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Posted Sun Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2014
i was gonna ask for help, but the situation resolved.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal is a book that has the power to change your life, and to think about the act of forgiveness in a very deep way.
This is the true story of Simon Wiesenthal, and how, as a Jewish prisoner under the Nazi regime, he encountered a dying Nazi soldier who would ask Simon to do something that is very difficult: to forgive him for his sins against the Jewish people.
This book has two sections: the first section detailing Simon's telling of the story, and the second which is filled with essays written by prominent figures of what they would do in Simon's role. I didn't read all of the commentary, but I did read some of them.
Does The Sunflower sound familiar to you? It's the real-life version of the Jodi Picoult novel, The Storyteller.
One section of Simon's tale really struck a chord with me. During a time when many Jews were living in the ghetto, the regime in charge wanted the children to be gone. The SS leader decided the best way to get all of the Jewish children out of hiding (so they could kill them, of course) would be to start a kindergarten, and advertise it as something for the good of the Jews. Extra food was even sent to the ghetto to help show the goodwill.
However, when the children came out of hiding to go to the kindergarten on that day, they were loaded onto SS trucks and brought straight to the gas chambers.
Does Simon have the right to forgive on behalf of all of the Jewish people that this dying Nazi killed, injured, etc?
Can he deny a dying man's wish?
Will Simon forgive this Nazi?
Would YOU?
Thanks for reading,
Rebecca @ Love at First Book
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Wed Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Please nobodys joining
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Tue Aug 27 00:00:00 EDT 2013
She yawns and twists open the Purple Hearts gebtly. "Next bush iver!" ((Res2 or around there, my res are mixed around...))
0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Posted Mon Nov 30 00:00:00 EST 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
While imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, Simon Wiesenthal was taken one day from his work detail to the bedside of a dying member of the SS. Haunted by the crimes in which he had participated, the soldier wanted to confess to—and obtain absolution from—a Jew. Faced with the choice between compassion and justice, silence and truth, Wiesenthal said nothing. But even years after the way had ended, he wondered: Had he done the right thing? What would you have done ...