Eight notebooks thickly covered with tiny, almost indecipherable writing: the life of Etty Hillesum. These books tell the story of Amsterdam na woman of twenty-seven years. Span the 1941 and 1942, to Holland two years of war and oppression, but Etty for a period of growth and, paradoxically, individual liberation. These were the years in in which all of Europe is the drama of extermination. Etty Hillesum was Jewish, and wrote a counter-play.
Etty's life is all between the words noted Thursday, November 10, 1941: "Fear of living on the line. Subsidence complete. Lack of confidence in myself. Repulsion. Fear," and words of Friday, July 3, 1942: "Well, I accept this new certainty: they want us to total annihilation. Now I know. I will not bother with my fears, I will not be saddened if others do not understand what is at stake for us Jewish. A security will not be corroded weakened or the other. I continue to work and live with the same conviction and I find life too full of meaning. "
Etty examined in detail all that happens between those two dates and noted with great transparency, frankness and intensity. To avoid losing any grip with the world shocked Etty began the search for the origins of their existence, and found a source whose attitude toward life best definition is "radical altruism". The last words of his diary are: "It would be a balm for many wounds."
I think his was a world view that had nothing to do with the escape or illusion, or rather was based on a sound perception of reality, hard-won. Its God can appear in full Consani with his ability to see the truth, bear it and to find consolation.
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