▁Works ▁of ▁important ▁Jewish ▁the olog ians ▁ ▁Richard ▁Rub en stein ▁Prof . ▁Richard ▁Rub en stein ' s ▁original ▁piece ▁on ▁this ▁issue , ▁After ▁Aus ch witz , ▁held ▁that ▁the ▁only ▁intellect ually ▁honest ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁Hol oca ust ▁is ▁to ▁reject ▁God , ▁and ▁to ▁recognize ▁that ▁all ▁existence ▁is ▁ultimately ▁meaning less . ▁According ▁to ▁this ▁piece , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁divine ▁plan ▁or ▁purpose , ▁no ▁God ▁that ▁reve als ▁His ▁will ▁to ▁hum ank ind , ▁and ▁God ▁does ▁not ▁care ▁about ▁the ▁world . ▁Hum ans ▁must ▁assert ▁and ▁create ▁their ▁own ▁value ▁in ▁life . ▁This ▁view ▁has ▁been ▁rejected ▁by ▁Jews ▁of ▁all ▁religious ▁denomin ations , ▁but ▁his ▁works ▁were ▁widely ▁read ▁in ▁the ▁Jewish ▁community ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁Since ▁that ▁time ▁Rub en stein ▁has ▁begun ▁to ▁move ▁away ▁from ▁this ▁view ; ▁his ▁later ▁works ▁aff irm ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁de ism ▁in ▁which ▁one ▁may ▁believe ▁that ▁God ▁may ▁exist ▁as ▁the ▁basis ▁for ▁reality ▁and ▁some ▁also ▁include ▁Kab bal istic ▁not ions ▁of ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁God . ▁ ▁No ▁man ▁can ▁really ▁say ▁that ▁God ▁is ▁dead . ▁How ▁can ▁we ▁know ▁that ? ▁Nevertheless , ▁I ▁am ▁comp elled ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁we ▁live ▁in ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁" de ath ▁of ▁God ". ▁This ▁is ▁more ▁a ▁statement ▁about ▁man ▁and ▁his ▁culture ▁than ▁about ▁God . ▁The ▁death ▁of ▁God ▁is ▁a ▁cultural ▁fact