"Where Was Hashem During the Holocaust? The Answer Brought Me Back to Faith"

It all started about a decade ago when Arad Elbaz was a 16-year-old teenager. Although he came from a traditional home that respected religious values, he privately viewed religious people as somewhat unfortunate. He certainly never imagined he would become one of them.

However, during a regular Bible class in high school, a red flag was raised, and he felt that 'something wasn't right here.' "I didn't expect the teacher to suddenly say 'Baruch Hashem' and treat the entire Jewish history like an ultra-Orthodox person would, but I found it strange that the Bible stories were treated as if they were irrelevant to us today," explains 26-year-old Elbaz, now a yeshiva student. "This is why many of the students, including myself, found no interest in these classes. It was just another class that passed by without making an effort to understand how it directly affected me."

And it bothered him because, at home, he was raised to believe in a Creator and that the Torah was not a collection of 'old tales' as his secular teacher treated them, but a holy and supreme gift given to the people of Israel as a token of Hashem's love for them.

"My father supported my spiritual growth, but he didn't want me to forgo my military service"

He had little to do with this information until the fateful day his twin brother, Ariel, decided to join an organization that facilitated dialogue between secular and religious teens. "He approached this meeting thinking he already knew everything there was to know about Judaism and that the religious teens wouldn't have anything new to teach him. But when he returned, his tune had completely changed," recalls Elbaz.

Ariel came back with 'extra' enthusiasm and started looking for more Torah lectures on various Jewish topics. This is how he ended up at the lectures of Rabbi Zamir Cohen and became acquainted with the Hidabroot organization. "From then, the path to strengthening my faith was short," Elbaz clarifies but notes, "Though for me, the process took years. It began with prayers on Friday Shabbat at the synagogue and gradually included more commitments like wearing a kippah, tefillin, Shabbat, and other mitzvot. The first time I agreed to attend a Torah class, I chose Rabbi Zamir Cohen. I was impressed by the gentle manner in which he made the Torah accessible to everyone and the way he upheld the principle that good ethics precede Torah wisdom. I immediately fell in love with his personality."

After a long internal process of listening to numerous lectures on the Hidabroot website, Elbaz decided to enroll in a yeshiva, but then the obstacles began (which would later turn rewarding). "My father was very supportive of my spiritual growth but didn't want me to forgo my military service. He told me, 'First, join the army, and afterward, do whatever you want.' And that is precisely what I did. Honoring parents was no less important to me."

"I knew that once I enlisted, I would fall spiritually"

For Elbaz, it was not an easy test. "I knew that once I enlisted, I would fall spiritually. No other way about it." And that is precisely what happened, but in His mercy, Hashem sent help even in the remote base where he was stationed. "A religious guy in my room strengthened me in ways I can't even describe. Despite the fall, thanks to him, I managed to 'repair' my actions and strengthen my faith regardless."

But 'a wise man has his eyes in his head,' and immediately after his discharge, Elbaz recalculated his path and decided not to repeat the same mistake. "I knew that if I didn't enter Yeshiva now, I would immediately regress, which was precisely what I didn't want. There are situations where relying on yourself and saying 'One day I'll return to faith' or 'One day I'll join Yeshiva' won't suffice. That was precisely my situation, and I had to strike while the iron was hot before the evil inclination would strike again."

For some time, Elbaz studied in various kolels until he finally entered a yeshiva in Jerusalem. Even today, Rabbi Zamir Cohen accompanies him regularly through the numerous classes he watches on the Hidabroot website. And what does he have to say to those caught in the middle, experiencing significant inner turmoil alongside the decision to join a yeshiva? "The fear of change is entirely understandable, but the moment you take the tiniest step toward Hashem, you immediately receive divine assistance that makes all the difference. Yeshiva transformed me completely, by any measure. And for the better, of course. The fear of making this step is understandable but not justified. Before I returned to faith, I had two very big questions in life – one related to Shabbat, and the other to the question 'Where was Hashem during the Holocaust?' As the grandson of a grandmother who lost everything dear to her during the Holocaust, it was important for me to find answers to these questions and not just follow the herd. So I researched and checked, asked questions, and watched many videos by Rabbi Zamir Cohen, who explains the topic thoroughly – and eventually, it all resonated in my heart. So, there is an answer to everything, but the question is whether you are truly brave enough to uncover it."

So, where was Hashem during the Holocaust? Watch Rabbi Yosef Ben Porat's enlightening lecture and discover the answers to the great faith crisis spawned by it: