I Found G-d in Auschwitz": A Conversation with Dr. Edith Eger

During the height of COVID, I had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Edith Eger. Her story is one of unimaginable torment; as a young girl in Auschwitz, she was forced to dance for Josef Mengele, a harrowing experience that left her profoundly scarred. Even as she embarked on a new life in the United States, she carried the silent weight of all that pain and suffering with her as did all holocaust survivors.

Yet, Edith was different. She refused to be defined by the labels of "victim" or even "survivor." Instead, she saw life through a lens of beauty and radical positivity, often famously saying, "I found G-d in Auschwitz”.

When I asked her how she managed to carry such trauma, her answer was transformative. She explained that her perspective shifted once she became a psychologist and redirected her focus: "By healing others," she told me, "I began to heal myself."

This lesson is as powerful as it is universal. We are naturally inclined toward self-preservation, often preoccupied with how to improve our own lives. Yet, the truth is beautifully counterintuitive: when we focus on adding value to others, we inadvertently add the greatest value to ourselves.

At our core, we are driven by a soul that hungers for spiritual nutrition. Acts of kindness to others provide that sustenance. Once the soul is nourished, a powerful flow of positive energy percolates through our entire system, granting us mental clarity, emotional balance, and an empathetic heart. Our behavior becomes infused with a radiant energy that is not only transformative for us but contagious to everyone we meet.

Try it, it works!