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Belief - Series 5 - Stephen Smith

Logo for Belief - Series 5 - Stephen Smith

Joan Bakewell explores areas of belief with artists, thinkers and other public figures. She talks to Stephen Smith, co-founder and director of the Holocaust Centre, set in the countryside of North Nottinghamshire. Originally a Christian retreat house run by his parents, the centre is dedicated to the memory and significance of that terrible event for Jews and non-Jews alike. His vision for it was inspired by his own journey to understand the relationship between Judaism and Christianity as well as the Holocaust itself. In turn, Smith has had to examine his own convictions underpinning the nature of humanity - does good always triumph over evil? Do the actions of good people always win out? It's a process which has led him away from Christianity and towards Judaism. These days, Stephen is much more likely to celebrate Passover than Easter Sunday, his children know as much about the Jewish faith as Christianity and, for him, God cannot be defined.