His mother had you beat she already said Kaddish for the son who joined up with the people who killed her, I suppose Kaddish is said for twelve months in his case right, he sure will need it, lol.

He wanted that a Kaddish be said . One of his Jewish cousins said it , before the beginning of the Catholic ceremony , outside the notre Dame cathedral [ TV5 teletexte ]

Don't have balls to come and live here, but are the first to put up their noses and say what others should do and think!

let's not juge the man, as we are all imperfect. may god rest his soul, he chose the path that allowed him to survive without his parents. would we have done differently? we jews must act and be seen to act with utmost respect for all things created by God. the young Lustiger did not turn into a gangster, a rapist or a terrorist, simply a man of religion. we have no right to insult his memory.

Lustiger's life was not an enigma. He knew his mother died in Auschwitz, he knew full well some jews, including me, were not feeling comfortable about his choice. My question though is: is that really a choice? I don't think so. Being converted to catholicism as a kid, a kid endangered because he was jewish, doesn't appear to me as a glorious moment in the judeo-christian relations. On the contrary, it's sad, and more than sad, it's a rape, a spiritual rape. What's the difference between this and Torquemada? I mean: "die or convert". It's the same story. I know Lustiger felt during his life as jewish as christian, but I damn know it was more like a strategical figure within the catholic power, a symbol inviting jews all over the world to step ahead and why not, change religion. The catholics who saved him shall have preserved his jewish identity as much as they could. Even later, when Lustiger was an adult: how can you stay catholic after learning that your jewish mother died at Auschwitz? Nonsensical.Illogical.

Either way you look at it and from a Jewish perspective a Jew is a Jew no matter what path they may have chosen. He could have been the Pope it matters not he would still be a Jew. So besides the fact he desired the Kaddish to be said, it is still proper that kaddish is said on the basis that he was a Jew. No more and no less.

Our education isn't the best in the world, but #1 made so many grammatical errors in just one sentence that I seriously doubt he's a native english speaker.

As we constantly repeat in prayer, it is not the death of sinners that G-d seeks, but rather that they return to righteousness. We therefore wait with open arms for all of our brethren who have gone astray to come back to us. If they should die before that happens, we still say Kaddish because it is first and foremost a prayer of praise to G-d and a comfort to those who still live.

charity donations go to Israel. Wouldn't you want a say if you gave BILLIONS every year to beloved kin?

Interesting comments- I agree that it may be very difficult to be empathetic and understand the choice he made in youth. We have all read about numerous other people who went through the same or similar situations in the Holocaust, and they did NOT convert and didn't become Roman Catholic archbishops, so we know that it was not inevitable. I personally feel that in many ways he set a very poor example to other Jews, but I doubt he thought about the future ramifications of his choice and was perhaps concerned only with what he saw then as his personal decision. More to the point, I find it sad and small minded, and not a little hypocritical that some of the comments express no compassion or empathy for him and his choice, and go on to perpetuate lack of tolerance within our people. American, Israeli, all that does not matter when you are being persecuted because you are a Jew, when you are a youngster in extraordinary circumstances for which are not and cannot be prepared for. True, as an adult he could have made other decisions which might have pleased the Jewish community, but he didn't. Instead of judging each other so harshly, I suggest seeking the common ground we have . We have SO many enemies from the outside, so much pressure and so many problems, why add more from the inside? Expression of opinion, respectful argument, constructive criticism, yes. Sibling rivalry, petty fighting over where one lives and unbased assumptions on the other's degree of participation or contribution to the State of Israel? Simply destructive. Mahatma Gandhi said "Anger and intolerance are the twin enemies of correct understanding."- and more importantly tho i can't find the original source- "These three are the marks of a Jew--a tender heart, self-respect, and charity" Jennie in Israel

Aaron Lustiger , his official name , converted to christianity when he was 14 . At this age a Jew is considered to be an adult . So he made this choice as an adult , and at 18 he did'nt want to return to Judaism as his father asked him .

Your arrogant stupid intolerance annoys me. First of all, you talk about the Christians as if they set up Auschwitz and all the other concentration camps in order to annihilate the Jews. I think we should not discharge the Nazis from their liability. In fact the Nazis were against Christianity, they tried to reanimate the ancient Germanic pagan rites. However, the Germans were too religious back in the days hence the Nazis made peace with Christianity. The Churches, especially the Catholic Church, played a shameful role during the Nazi time. Nevertheless, you should remember that some of the Nazis called themselves Christians but that not all of the Christians were Nazis. Your question “How can you stay Catholic after learning that your mom has been killed in Auschwitz?” is an outrageously stupid question. Catholics have also been killed by the Nazis; my uncle was executed because he tried to help Jews to flee and refused to serve in the Wehrmacht. Bernard Lichtenberg is a more famous example for Catholics who resisted against the Nazis. Secondly, the choice of the faith is a very personal one. Lustiger had more than one opportunity to return to the Jewish faith; however, he chose the Catholic way. The way you talk about this decision shows a massive lack of respect for other faiths. After all, we all never know which path is the right one; we only believe that we have found it. From my personal point of view Jews and Muslims follow the wrong path. Nonetheless, I would never dare calling a conversion from Christianity to Islam or Judaism a sin. I have to respect this decision because I don’t know, I only believe. I am not smarter than they are, nor do I have more knowledge about God. What makes it even worse it that you say he does not deserve kaddish. I am sorry, but your approach towards other religions reminds me of the Muslim and Christian fundamentalists which I strongly oppose. Fundamentalists make religious life much harder, are narrow minded, radical and dangerous. That counts for Jewish fundamentalism, too.

First of all may Lustiger rest in peace. Secondly, I am still mulling this one over. So here are my questions: 1. what is the basis for saying Kaddish for a Jew who converts out? 2. in Lustiger's case is there room to consider him "a baby who was removed to the forest" and therefore one who lost contact with his Judaism? 3. why are North American Jews in the Y-net talkback groups so quick and ready to critizise everything and everyone? now for a bit of history During the Middle Ages the plaza around the Notre Dame was used by the Catholic church as the location where Jews were humilated on Good Friday. The French cardinal of Paris brought the members of the Jewish community there in order to humiliate them by reminding them that they (we) had murdered Jesus and read to them the horrific prayer against the Jewish infidels (Ora Profidis) (popularly known as "Prayer for the Jews"). This prayer is the very prayer that the current Pope has reinstituted into the Catholic mass. Therefore in my humble opinion it is sublimely ironic that particularly on the spot where so many Jews were shamed the name of G-d has been magnified in the saying of Kaddish for this man. Think about it and let me know what you think

Aaron Lustiger WANTED that Kaddish be said after his death . Right or wrong ? no importance , it was his will . Regarding history , let history rest in books and eventually some memories for recent facts . We are living now in the 21th century . American people think maybe they are smart and can give lessons to everyone about everything . How many times were there informations wrong ? i can't tell it . One person only admitted to have written something about what he [ or she , i don't remember ] did'nt know very much .

much of their tax and charity dollars go to Israel to their needy "kin". Also, who listens to them in America? At least you listen and there are conversations and understandings are reached.

Catholic hierarchy as so many jesuit priest infiltrate other religions and business and governments and corporations. Only God and the angels know for sure what a person satnads for ans i in his/her heart.

where's the evidence this socalled jesus ever existed?? (and no, the xian 'bible' doesn't count)

The Messiah promised to Israel has already appeared and he died for your sins and all men's sins. Do you really believe that God would wait around 2500 years to fulfill that prophecy?

isn't good for the Jews. Every time we forget our history bad things happen. BTW have u ever admitted being wrong?

We can't know what went through his mind during the war. We don't know if his protective family tried to maintain his Jewishness or actively tried to convert him. At this point, it doesn't matter. His soul is with G-d and the two of them will resolve any issues.

yes, americans and jews have a right to voice an opinion.This is one of the most tragic and sad cases I ever read.For one thing the French are disgustingly anti-semestic and this man's poor mother died as a Jew.Meanwhile her son is there with a cross with the very people who butchered his own people and collaborated with the Nazis.makes me want to vomit. It i beyond nauseating- for all the Church has done against our people. Yes, let us just be all smiley and cheery for this "geshmadnik".Yuck!

called the Christ is described. About two thousand years ago, a roman named Publius Lentulus wrote a report to his emperor, Tiberius, and included the following description of the man known as Jesus Christ: "A tall, well-proportioned man, his hair is the color of new wine...curled as it falls to (his shoulders). Upon the forehead, it parts in two. His forehead is flat and fair, his face without blemish or defect and adorned with a graceful exprfession. His nose and mouth are very well proportioned; his beard thick and the oclor of his hair, red gold. His eyes are gray and extremely lively. He is the handsomest man in the world." The report is kept in the Archives in Rome. YES, #22. Jesus who the Jews called Yeshua or Yehoshua spoke Aramaic which is similar to Hebrew. The New Testament of the Christians which is so despised by those who do not appreciate Yeshua, was ORIGINALLY written in ARAMAIC, NOT GREEK. The PESHITA ARAMAIC TEXT of the teachings of life and teachings of Yeshua passes the ELS code tests for authenticity. It is the conclusion of the ELS scholars at www.biblecodedigest.com that the Peshita ARAMAIC Text is of divine origin, as is the original Hebrew texts of the Old Testament, the Torah, etc.

Xns are always saying the founder of their religion fulfilled the messianic prophecies. Except that he didn't. He didn't bring back Malchut Beit David, return the exiles or cause techat ha-meisim. They answer that this will happen the 2nd time. But till then, they are forced to admit that he thus didn't fulfill the most important parts of what it means to be the messiah. They only thing that can really say (assuming the Xn Bible is a valid source of information) is that he was a descendant of King David. But so are many other people.

We Jews have a funny way of being proud of Jews "who make it" regardless if they "made it" in fields which run contrary to Jewish values or if the methods they used to achieve success was immoral. Look at the movie stars, sports heroes, politicians, etc. from around the world who violated Shabbos, ate Treif, married Shiksas and so forth, but "made it". Mr. Lustiger is an extreme case. He turned his back on our Judaism, embraced a foreign religion and accepted a theology which runs contrary to the Torah. Yet, he "made it". We have nothing to be proud of with this person who rejected our most fundamental beliefs and ideology. The saying of Kaddish for him is absurd.