why is the extermination of 6 million jews referred to as the "holocaust"? (more details...)?

Question

the word holocaust means- "a ritualistic, sacrificial, burnt offering" why would a jewish rabbi refer to the attempted genocide of his people as a sacrificial offering?

Answer 1

That's only one definition. another is...
" a thorough destruction involving extensive loss of life especially through fire *a nuclear holocaust*"

That's why.
besides, that's the term the world gave it. why would we try to change the word. seems like a rather pointless goal.

cheerio

Answer 2

If my memory serves me well the definition that I was taught is that holocaust means 'All consuming fire'. This definition is supported by other answers above. In literature fire and water are symbolic of either cleansing (of ideas or physical objects) or annihalation. Seems to be this second interpretation is the one the world has adopted. Remember languages are alive and thier conotations are constantly shifting (a good example is when W, used the word 'crusade' to describe the 'war on terror' even though in common language it had come to be known as a emense task the orginal meaning all of a sudden seemed much more relavent.) although when a word gets attached to an event as huge as the holocaust then it's not going anywhere for a while.

Answer 3

perhaps it is in referance to the second definition:

# From the Greek: "holos" (completely) and "kaustos" (burned sacrificial offering). When capitalized, the term usually refers to the Shoah, (aka Shoa and Sho'ah) the killing of five to seven million of European Jews by the Nazi government during World War II. Sometimes used to refer to the total Nazi extermination program, which included Jews, Roma (aka Gypsies), Russians, Poles, other Slavs, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. totaling ten to fourteen million humans. ...
www.religioustolerance.org/gl_h.htm

# The word, Holocaust, derives from Greek words, meaning complete destruction, usually by fire. By the end of the 17th century, the word came to mean a great slaughter or massacre. It is now used to describe the genocide against the Jews in Europe by the Nazis.
www.bl.uk/services/learning/curriculum/voices/refglos.html

Answer 4

via fact it is not authentic. Poland's inhabitants in 1939 replaced into 36 million, of which 3.a million million have been Jews. the optimum achievable quantity of Jews killed then must be 3.a million million. actuality is of course no longer each Polish Jew died. They in many cases record it as "6 million Jews have been killed" instead of "6 million Polish have been killed". in actuality brith information from the time point out the Jews have been the only ethnicity in Europe in easily boost in inhabitants for the period of the warfare with record numbers of births. No, i'm no longer a Nazi sympathiser, in basic terms a man or woman who reads background and likes the actuality no count no count if that actuality is widely used or no longer. EDIT: I see fairly some misinterpretations of issues in those solutions you're getting. I even have been to Auschwitz. it is a concentration camp. meaning fairly some human beings have been stored in a small section. It would not propose gas chamber. I additionally take subject with the thought debate over the background of the Jews in WWII is taken as bigotry in direction of Jews. some international places will placed historians in reformatory for reporting info that go against the "sturdy" tale. absolutely everyone ought to objective to verify greater and picture independantly of the media.

Answer 5

Dude, holocaust means burnt offering, just like the rabbi said. They put them in ovens. Get it?

Answer 6

If we are to accept this definition, then we could simply say that the 6 million Jews and the other 45 million people who were killed in WWII were Hitler and the Nazi's offering to Satan. N'est ce pas?
I CR 13;8a
10-23-6

Answer 7

I wasnt aware it was that many. Im going to check on the validity of that number.
Well I dont know dont they use the holocaust to keep people in line.
Lol oh wait I k now because they are Gods chosen people and God chose Hitler to sacrifice them?

Answer 8

The eight million native americans killed.was not called a holocaust. ow you said jews, I do not know that, sorry.

Answer 9

The term is used by the whole world. I suppose it is because of lack of a a better term.

Answer 10

the burnt part is true, and he was trying to put it in a decent way