Evening Event: Meaning in a Broken Land

“Meaning in a Broken Land”: When Philosophy Meets Reality

When reality fractures, philosophy steps out of the theoretical realm and becomes an existential question.
The “Meaning in a Broken Land” conference, held in collaboration with the ANU Museum of the Jewish People, was initiated by Michal Yishachar, a PhD candidate in philosophy. The event explored the question of how to find meaning when we are faced with harsh, imposed realities. “When meaning is disrupted,” Yishachar said, “you can’t go back. You have to create it anew.”

The event brought together academics with bereaved families and Holocaust survivors, all of whom have lived through, and continue to bear, trauma. “The goal of the Koret Center is to connect the educational museum with academia,” said Tal Goshen Gottstein, director of the Koret Center. “An evening like this is a perfect example of the connection between philosophy and reality, between abstract ideas and life itself.”