I remember when I heard the words "Biblical criticism" in my town, it was with disdain: "Biblical criticism? How dare you?".

In those dark times, one rose to the very heights of humanity by simply remaining human.

Not to remember is not an option.

Only one enemy is worse than despair: indifference. In every area of human creativity, indifference is the enemy; indifference of evil is worse than evil, because it is also sterile.

Life is really fascinated only by death. It vibrates only when it comes in contact with death.

What of the Exodus? That too, is a wonderful story, but from the viewpoint of an historian, it is - to use a word scholars love - problematic. Let's say there are doubts, to say the least, among many scholars, as to whether the Exodus actually occurred. That's a historical issue.

Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky.