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Rabbi Roy Tanenbaum in Calgary, March 16-17, 1999

by Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson

Rabbi Roy Tanenbaum returns to Calgary to promote his new book, Prisoner 88: The Man In Stripes. (The story of Polish Roman Catholic Auschwitz survivor, Sigmund Sobolewski, published by the University of Calgary Press, 1998).

Rabbi Roy Tanenbaum, former President of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews, Alberta Region; and Rabbi of Beth Tzedec Synagogue, Calgary; now residing in Toronto, and serving as Rabbi at Beth Tzedec Synagogue in that city, made a return visit to promote his new book on the Polish Roman Catholic Holocaust survivor, Sigmund Sobolewski. Rabbi Tanenbaum serves as a national Director of the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews; and Board Member and Programme Chair for the Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Greater Metropolitan Toronto.

The rabbi had a very full schedule of six different speaking engagements during his visit here from March 16-18, 1999. Both the rabbi and Mr. Sobolewski were available before and after the speaking engagements to sign copies of the book for those who purchased it.

This reporter was able to attend the first two engagements at Beth Tzedec Synagogue and the Jewish Community Centre.

On Tuesday evening, March 16, 1999, Rabbi Tanenbaum addressed a warm, receptive audience on the topic: "After Auschwitz: The Jewish and Christian Challenges." At both speaking engagements, the rabbi spoke with conviction, alacrity and grace, as he moved back and forth with ease from providing the audience with background information or the larger context of recorded incidents to reading excerpts from the book.

One of the most frequent questions addressed to Rabbi Tanenbaum is: 'Why did a Jewish rabbi write a book about a Polish Roman Catholic?' The rabbi said there are several answers to that question. However, the most important answer has to do with the impact that Sigmund Sobolewski made upon him personally and others by his willingness to publicly wear striped clothes with the Auschwitz Prisoner number 88 badge. As he stood out from the crowd wearing this and spoke of his experiences as a prisoner at Auschwitz, there was for the rabbi something very compelling about the man and his message. The stripes confirmed and symbolized for the rabbi that there was still work to be done in order to communicate Sigmund's story to the world. He wrote it because the Holocaust is still with us today. In the news, we hear of neo-Nazi terrorists on the streets. There are also still those who deny the historical reality of the Holocaust. There was a sense of urgency to tell this story. Rabbi Tanenbaum also wrote the book because he was curious about what kind of effect it would have on Sigmund's life. And he hopes that the book will be used as a resource for high school students across Canada.

Rabbi Tanenbaum said that this book is different than others because it is not about the Holocaust. Rather, its main focus is on what happens after the Holocaust. Thus, the focus is on the impact of the Holocaust events on Sigmund, rather than the events themselves.

The Holocaust, according to the rabbi, is a validation of Jewish living (surviving) and of the Jewish faith. For Jews, "God was crucified at Auschwitz." Where was God during the Holocaust? Is the most difficult, yet pressing question for Jews especially, but also for Christians, said the rabbi.

What happened historically was an escalating anti-Judaism and antisemitism among Christians over the centuries. It began by Christians telling Jews: 'You have no right to live among us as Jews.' From there, it escalated to: 'You have no right to live among us.' Finally, it escalated to: 'You have no right to live.'

According to Rabbi Tanenbaum, the question most pressing for the Christian of faith is: 'Where were the Christians/where was the Church during Auschwitz?' In light of this question, the Christian challenge after Auschwitz is possibly more difficult for Christians than it is for Jews. The Holocaust is never going to be over until there is a total re-thinking of the Jewish-Christian relationship; until, as a result of that, we learn from all of the suffering.

Rabbi Tanenbaum's address title for the CCCJ, Alberta Region Breakfast was: "A Modern Story of Jonah, Sisera's Mother and Jacob."

As a rabbi and person of faith, the author told his attentive audience, that he finds inner strength and fidelity from the Bible, which for him is very much alive. His title refers to three biblical stories and their parallels with Sigmund's life and experiences. There are also parallels for most human beings in these stories.

In the book of Jonah, the protagonist journeys in the wrong and downward direction — in opposition to God's instructions. We also, on occasion, do like Jonah and run away from God and the responsibilities which God has given us. Jonah's downward journey moves from the bottom of the ship, to the bottom of the sea, to the bottom of the large fish's belly. The modern social sciences have developed concepts and language to describe Jonah's downward journey. For example, we speak of people being "in denial," "addicted," or someone has chosen to "cop-out" or "opt-out." The modern-day parallel to Jonah being swallowed by the large fish and going down into its belly; may be our longing, at times, to go back into the womb and dwell there in the comforting fetal position.

After liberation, at the end of World War II, Sigmund met up with a woman who had been a prostitute in the Auschwitz bordello. She pleads with Sigmund to return home to Poland. He responds to the woman by saying that it was too dangerous. He was afraid of the Russian Communists taking over Poland. He also thought that his memories would haunt him too much if he returned to Poland. He felt that he had to go elsewhere to make a new life.

Sigmund never went back to his mother or his family in Poland to tell them that he was okay, nor did he say his good-bye to them. This very much parallels the story of Sisera's mother in the book of Judges, who waits in vain for her son to return home in victory after dividing the spoils of war. Alas, she is unaware of the fact that the enemy, Deborah's army, has won the victory and Sisera is dead. Sigmund's mother and family, likewise, waited and longed for him to return home.

Sigmund, like Jonah, goes in another direction. He joins the navy, boards a ship and travels overseas. He is on the run for 22 years. This, too, apparently is what many Jewish Holocaust survivors did after the war. Sigmund worked very hard and attained a respectable degree of material success. Finally, after 22 years, he did go back to Poland.

In the 1960s, the visit of German citizen and neo-Nazi leader, Adolf von Thadden, to Canada and his interview with the CBC deeply upset Sigmund. Why, he wondered, would Canadians through their public broadcasting corporatation, support or promote neo-Nazi hatred in Canada?

After this incident, memories of Auschwitz, existential angst, unconsciousness surfacing to consciousness, and possibly even divine intervention overwhelm Sigmund one night. In this nocturnal experience, he feels as if he were wrestling with some powerful truth and reality. According to Rabbi Tanenbaum, this experience parallels that of Jacob in the book of Genesis, wrestling with his opponent during the night, until he receives the divine blessing. This encounter changes Jacobs future direction. The same was true for Sigmund after his nocturnal experience.

In Jonah, something profound happens between chapters 1 and 3: Jonah had a catharsis; he could no longer hide or run from his responsibilities or from God. He was a changed person after he emerged out of the large fish's belly. Rabbi Tanenbaum believes that von Thadden functioned as Sigmund's whale. After wrestling all night, he too is a changed person, a new person. Now he is ready to begin a new life. Prior to this experience, Sigmund had been running from and struggling to leave behind his life at Auschwitz. After 22 years, he comes to an acceptance of his past and wears the stripes again. Sigmund's change of direction has caused him several hardships. He has lost friends, business contacts and was alienated from his family members too for a time. However, his wife and children have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of him and his message.