Beyond the Ashes: Cases of Reincarnation from the Holocaust

by Yonassan Gershom

Personal stories of people who believe they died in the Holocaust and have reincarnated.

Genres: Holocaust, Judaism, Nonfiction, Religion, History, Jewish, Spirituality

317 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1992

Reviews

[Ian Beardsell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect with Rabbi Gershom's book on the topic of reincarnation of Jewish victims of the Holocaust. In the 1960s, as society started to address the taboo subject of the Holocaust, many of the Baby-Boomers the Rabbi was counseling provided him with compelling, uncanny evidence of having lived and died as victims of the Holocaust, even if they themselves were not even Jewish and new nothing about the religion. There is definitely an element of New Age mysticism here, with the now nearly cliche aspects of past-life memories and regressions, near-death anecdotes of the tunnel to the white light, and the idea that our souls gather in the after-life for a time-out and strategy session of what karmic lessons must be learned "next time"; however, the author doesn't dwell on these too much. He mentions them, perhaps referring to other works on the matter, but does not get caught up in trying to prove or explain the unprovable and inexplicable.

Instead, Gershom fleshes out in detail the surprising amount of references to reincarnation in a religion that primarily focuses on life in the here and now. He focuses on Judaism itself and the terrible damage done to the entire Jewish psyche by the 20th Century Holocaust. In much of the second half of the book he starts presenting links to themes found in other religions, and even some uncanny coincidences in alignments of the Mayan calendar and elements of the Kabbalah, and points that something large may be happening in global consciousness.

Ultimately, he comes to the conclusion that humanity may now be on the cusp of a renewal in which Jewish culture--a culture that has somewhat suppressed and hidden itself for a time after the Holocaust--becomes instrumental in moving humanity forward. Perhaps millions of lost souls have indeed come back to teach us and guide us to ensure such a horrific tragedy can never happen again. We may even find a path forward to reconcile the xenophobia and underlying hatred that seem on the verge of setting us backward once again.

[Jettz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating read. From both a science or religious stand point or whether you are Jewish or not, this work will make you think.

[Ilana Fine bar-hai · Rating 4 out of 5]

FAscinating. I agree with much of what is written. Here and there it is a bit beyond my view and towards the end, even in the appendix I found myself very interested. An open mind and a spiritual person will enjoy learning from this book. Even the glossary was good.Iliked the part about since the destruction of the Second Temple, andup until 1948, Jews would be denied the right of control over land, living spaces; synagogues, houses, etc could be confiscated at any moment.... so the Shabbat became something nobody could take away... fascinating.

[Lynette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected it to contain more first-hand experiences of reincarnation; however, this was still a very interesting book. I know little about Judaism, and the information about beliefs, rituals, and theology were presented in a way that I could easily understand.

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend lent me this book as I have an interest in reincarnation. I must say it was absolutely fascinating. I have to admit I know nothing about the Jewish religion. However, Yonassan made it very interesting and light.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book taught me that reincarnation is not outside Jewish beliefs.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about case studies of reincarnation from the Holocaust. Had an index, notes, bibliography and glossary. Definitely recommend.

[Rem · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Collectively this vast body of knowledge--Bible, Talmud, halachah, aggadah, mysticism, parables, stories, rituals, ethical literature, etc.--is referred to as Torah. This Hebrew word is often translated as "the law," but it literally means "teachings." Christians often assume the Torah is limited to the scroll in the synagogue which contains the Five Books of Moses. But when a Jew speaks of "learning Torah," he or she does not just mean just the "Old Testament." The word "Torah," in its broadest sense, includes all Jewish writings, teachings, insights, and practices over the past 5,000 years." pg. 52

"A basic principle in studying this material is that 'there is no before or after in Torah.' This means that later commentaries do not negate older teachings, but merely build upon them with new interpretations that always potentially existed but had yet not been 'revealed' to earlier scholars...Even in the Bible and Talmud there were differing opinions about the afterlife, and these have been preserved side-by-side. [These include]:
1. Survival through one's descendants. Many Jews do not believe in the individual survival of the soul, but rather that the thread of life is perpetuated through one's descendants or 'seed.'...Childlessness is seen as a deep tragedy, not only for the nuclear family but also for the clan. Without children, the line of the parents ends forever, both spiritually and literally. Within this world view there is no room for celibacy, which is seen as both irresponsibility toward the tribe and a kind of spiritual suicide.
2. Physical resurrection
3. An immortal soul in heaven
4. Reincarnation." pp. 52-70

"Belief in a literal physical resurrection has been abandoned by most modern Jews, again because of the Holocaust." pg. 62

"Enlightenment, in this model, is a process, not a static sate of being." pg. 68

"There is an old Jewish saying that 'once the sword is let loose in the land, it does not distinguish between the innocent and the guilty.' " pg. 115

"Because their lives were cut short, theses souls often have 'unfinished business' which draws them back to reincarnate almost immediately." pg. 116

"We must raise our self-esteem by saying 'God made this whole world for human beings, so there must be a reason to be here...in our Creator's eyes we are loved, cherished, and of great importance...Only by balancing the left hand of justice with the right hand of mercy can we walk through the spiritual path in beauty and truth." pp. 126-127

"This theme of exile and redemption is used in a Jewish prayer called tikkun chatzot, which is recited at midnight, lamenting the sufferings of the exiles and praying for the coming Messiah." pg. 130

"I most certainly do believe that forgiveness lays a big role in healing negative karma. But forgiveness is not the same thing as amnesty. Nor is it social amnesia. In fact, by linking 'forgive' with 'forget,' we are often working against the very healing process that we want to facilitate." pg. 153

"Justice on the earth plane is necessary for an ordered society, but it is often unequal to the severity of the crime." pg. 155

"...there are many factors which go into the circumstances of our next incarnation...The karmic group to which we belong, the past history of the group into which we are born, our own karma from previous incarnations, and the choices that we make through our free will." (paraphrased).

"Kabbalah teaches that there are five levels to the soul:
1. nefesh, the biological life force of the body
2. ruach, the lower emotional spirit of "ego"
3. neshamah, the individual higher consciousness
4. chayah, the collective unconscious of the group
5. yechidah, the level of unity with creation and God." pg. 179

"The Zohar indicates in many places that the soul is hermaphroditic while in the spiritual world and 'splits' into two halves, one male and the other female, when it enters the physical realm. This is the textual basis for the idea of 'soul mates,' as well as the expression 'my other half' for a spouse." pg. 195

"Many kabbalists also taught that the righteous souls voluntarily return, for thousands of incarnations if need be, in order to help the rest of humankind--exactly like the Buddhist concept of Boddhisattva. These souls are known in Hebrew as Zaddikim or "righteous holy ones."...It is said, that at any give time, there are always at least thirty six hidden Jewish saints on earth. These hidden saints, called Lamedvavniks from the Hebrew for "thirty-six," send quiet but exemplary lives as living incarnations of the Torah. It is for the sake of these thirty-six that the world continues to exist." pg. 198 (less)

"The rewards for doing this [standing alone against the powerful forces of peer pressure] are not always obvious on the physical level, but learning the right thing' under adversity is one of the most challenging tests a soul can meet." pg. 210

"Without the inner voice of conscience to evaluate what the demagogue is actually saying, it is all too easy to get caught up in the mindless emotions of the crowd. This is why Torah gives a specific commandment that 'you shall not follow a crowd to do evil." pg. 209

"Many Jews now ridicule nonviolence in general, saying that a live soldier is better than a dead saint and that Jewish survival takes precedence over all else." pg. 233

"What this means on the individual level is that each and every one of us, Jew or Gentile, can participate in the redemption of planet earth. Every spiritual act, every prayer, every 'good work' that we do is one more step toward the Messianic Age...a seemingly insignificant act of kindness can set up a chain of events that may change the course of our lives--perhaps even the course of history." pg. 251

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved how Rabbi Gershom wrote and explained Judaism to those who have no understanding of the religion and the different sects. This allowed me to better understand even more the reasoning and the history of all impacted within the Holocaust. I wish there were more stories regarding potential reincarnation, but this does not take away how amazing of a book this is, especially if one wishes to learn of another religion they were not brought up within. His passion regarding the teachings is evident and easily felt.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't quite the book I expected. The actual reincarnation stories seemd like backdrops to the rich history of the Jewish religion, the spirituality of the religion, and the lasting effect of the Holocaust on our world that the author deeply explores. I learned a lot, and l am glad I read it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book.

[Micmoc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jewish experiences of reincarnation.

[Moonstar83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was about 14 years old.I remember it being a very interesting read.

[Lorie Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Kees Zorge · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!!!!!