Rabbi harold kushner, author of “why bad things happen to good people” wrote: “our souls are not hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. those rewards create almost as many problems as they solve. our souls are hungry for meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives have meaning, for the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter, so that the world will be at least a little bit different for having passed through it.”

do you agree with him? what is your soul hungry for? identify 5 scenes in the film that relate to this thought.

how does this quote relate to jewish beliefs, practices, and rituals we have discussed throughout this unit?
what did this movie teach you with regard to the history of the jewish religion, and that a jewish person might have gone through? while there might not have been specific examples of the jewish people demonstrating their faith, what were some things that you learned about the attitude and faith of a jewish person in the film?

describe the jewish sacred time. how is it divided? what is considered the holiest day for jews and why? what were some examples that your classmates provided as to how a jewish person might celebrate some of these holy days and festivals?

what did you notice about the women in the film “life is beautiful” and how did this relate to what your classmates presented on the role of women in judaism?