Many people have asked why a god could let something as heinous as the Holocaust kill millions of people.

A local pastor and rabbi tried to address that question Sunday evening at “Voices from the Holocaust,” a program sponsored by Burgie’s Espresso Cafe.

“Take us to the scriptures to give us a Biblical perspective on this problem,” said the letter from Burgie’s owner Steve Burgason inviting a rabbi and pastor to speak at the event.

Sunday’s program was the second of two held at the Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Ave., addressing various aspects of the Holocaust. The Nov. 7 program featured survivors of the Holocaust and attracted an audience of 220.

Rabbi Yossi Jacobson, head of the Judaic Resource Center of Des Moines, and Pastor Jeff Dodge of Cornerstone Church, 315 Sixth St., presented many ideas about the scriptures and how they relate to events surrounding the Holocaust.

Jacobson used the story of Abraham and his son Isaac to demonstrate the faith and commitment of God to Jewish people during the Holocaust.

“This commitment is what kept us alive,” he said.

Dodge said the Holocaust is a mystery, but human nature can help explain its events.

“It is in our nature to oppress and hate one another,” he said. “Almost assuredly, the first word that proceeded from your mouth — somewhere after ‘Da-da’ — was ‘Mine!’ We’ve lived out that world view ever since.”

During the question-and-answer period, Jacobson said for every tragedy the Jewish community has encountered, something positive has occurred.

“After Egypt, there was the gift of the Torah. After the destruction of the second temple, the Talmud was written. After the Holocaust came the formation of Israel,” he said.

When asked about Hitler’s use of the church to draw support for his anti-Semitism, Dodge said just because people claim to be Christian does not make them worthy of the title.

“Labels are empty if not followed up by truth and action,” Dodge said during the question-and-answer session.