Lives of Holocaust Victims After the Holocaust

The Holocaust was tragic event in history that took lives of over 10 million people. Throughout this period, men, women, and children of various races and culture groups, were taken from their homes and put in concentration camps. In these camps they were forced into heavy manual labor. Along with this work, these people were malnourished and energy deprived which made their lives that much more difficult. The people that did survive the war and the concentration camps faced a long road to recovery. After the concentration camps were liberated by the allied forces, most of the refugees were placed in refugee camps where they could've stayed in for up to 3 years. With all of their possesions gone, most people had nowhere to go to for financial assistance. Many refugees faced conditions that were in many ways similar to those in the camps themselves. Poverty, malnutrition and sometimes homelessness left refugees in a position that was very difficult to climb out of. Eventually as time progressed, refugees slowly started to get their lives back one step at a time. Although it is true that many people never made it to a state where their life after the war was the same as it was before.

People can be awesome

In discussion of such a satanic topic, it becomes hard not to assume a somber attitude. There is such unwritten devastation, such disgusting injustice, such grotesque images that we can sometimes forget that people are willing to do good, too. A recent article in the New York Times reminds me that people can be awesome! A recent demonstration in Dresden had Neo-Nazis outnumbered 12:1 by counter-demonstrators consisting of police and anti-fascists. Over 10,000 people attended the anti-Nazi march, reaffirming the message that was broadcast worldwide after the Holocaust: “Never again”.

---

After hours of preparation, we are finally approaching the event. As I write this, the room is buzzing with peripatetic students making the last touches to their work. Myself, I am excited for this evening’s events: a great deal of effort has been contributed by my peers to ensure quality presentations tonight.

---

"Never Again"

One of the worst things about the Holocaust is that we allowed it to happen again. In Rwanda and eastern Europe, genocide continued to happen while the rest of the world stood by. Elie Wiesel said in an interview “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” Elie Wiesel says this both reflectively, and about the genocide in Rwanda. He believed that the US should have sent out a radio broadcast to warn the Jews about the trains and where they were headed, so they could have avoided getting on them at all costs. Although, some experts believe that this could have encouraged the Nazis to speed up the process and openly killing more Jews and other groups. Many people in the US also did not know to what extent the Holocaust was happening. The Rwandan genocide, on the other hand, was much more open, which is one of the reasons it was controversial that we did not get involved. The world thought the holocaust was the end of all genocide, but superpowers need to be less tentative to intervene when it comes to innocent civilians being killed.

It can get worse

Here is a link to a New York Times article that claims to have found records that prove the Holocaust was far greater than we ever knew.

What does this mean for us? For many people, the Holocaust is easily the most horrifying event in human history. It is already a struggle for us to cope with it. And now? What if this is true, and it was even more shocking than we already think? Does it matter, if we already find it the worst scenario possible? Does this change your perception?

This article was published two days ago. People are still studying and documenting the horrors that occurred during WWII. It is still a raw wound, the conflict is still alive within us. We hope to see you tonight so we can wrestle with these questions, even if we might not answer them.

The Nuremberg Trials

After committing some the most atrocious war crimes in history, the leaders of the Nazi party finally met their judgement at one of the most famous war crime trials in history. The main heads of the party that brainwashed and convinced an entire nation to do their bidding in a war that had some worst atrocities in any war that came before it.

After Berlin toppled in May of 1945, the Soviets arrested the remaining Nazi party leaders. After this occurred the Allies squabbled to find a solution to sentence these crimals to justice in a court that would be fair in the eyes of the public, where they had an oppertunity to prove their innocence. 

The trials were held in the Bavarian city of Nuremberg in Central Germany, where the most important German trials were held. The Soviets, British, Americans, and the French all sent their diplomats to represent their countries at trial. The German opposition had a defense attorney that was seen to be one of the best attorneys in all Germany at the time. During the trials there was a significant amount of evidence and documents that showed that the defendants were guilty. After most of the defendants were found guilty, most were sent away to Soviet prison camps, where most died years later. After all was said and done, the Nuremberg Trials finally granted justice to men and women who suffered at the hands of these men.

Comradery in the holocaust

Throughout the book, ideas of comradery and support of one another are shown from father to son, brother to brother, and friend to friend.  "From time to time, I was able to send a piece of bread to my father." Despite small rations Elie still devotes some of his food to his father, this shows the close relationship between Elie and his father despite the fact that any day could be their last.  I found it amazing that even in the face of death, a boy can overcome his primary thought to survive and look out for his father.  At times even the German officers showed sings of support with the inmates. "It all went well.  Don't worry.  Nothing will happen to anyone.  Not to anyone..." The Blockälteste attempts to re-assure the inmates, after the selection, that everyone will be ok.  This surprised me alot, that even the Germans who were fighting against the Jews saw them as people with emotions and showed sympathy towards them.  Although the Blockälteste is lying, he is supporting the inmates by making them belive they'll be alright.  The Germans goal in the holocaust was to de-humanize the Jews, but with such a strong force of comradery, the Germans often did not succeed.

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”

― Aldous Huxley, Complete Essays 2, 1926-29

  A quote that we all must keep in mind, especially as the event draws near and the class reaches the end of its preparations. Discussion groups are going into detailed research; poster-makers seek out visual resources. Press release reminds the community of our important role as witnesses through Mr. Wiesel. The result is this– we are learning more and more about the Holocaust, and much of this is painful.

Why do this? Why make teenagers learn about the deceit of a government, the corruption of a people, the great evil that humans are capable of committing? Has it not passed? What good does it do to suffer uncomfortably through these facts, memoirs, horrifying photographs? What good does it do to drag the rest of the community in with us?

Because we owe the victims this. Because we are responsible to understand their suffering. Because unless we understand, we are doomed to repeat. Because even if we ignore them? It's all still true.

"What would I do with one million Jews? Where would I put them?"

- a British diplomat, refusing to deal from the Nazis: a million Jews for 10,000 trucks

Passivity

The Jews of Sighet display a theme common to many of us today. With the regularity of everyday life, they allowed themselves to slip into regularity; a sense of security. As many have experienced in their own lifetimes, this illusion of permanence is so comfortable that we try to protect it by ameliorating the effects of a world moving on – the new, strange and awkward should be avoided at any costs.

And so, a theme of passivity is established in Night, to the extent of denial. Is it that the community simply does not believe Moishe the Beadle? No – Moishe is respected enough for his story to be credible. Rather, the community finds it easier to simply deny the reality than to accept and prepare for the truth. This theme is continued throughout the opening chapters: “They will stay in Budapest”. People ask why so few of the Jewish settlements put up resistance to the Nazis – even when they were aware of the consequences of allowing themselves to be taken. In order to prepare a defense, one has to accept the reality of a situation. And acceptance is the most painful stage: how many of us have refused to believe that a close one is gone?

After the Holocaust was exposed for what it was, nations of the world united in saying “Never again”. And yet, genocide still continues. Persecution is still commonplace. And still the world watches silently.

---

Terezín and Music During the Holocaust

The persecution of Jews during the Holocaust would not suggest that every bit of tradition was left behind when they were taken away from their homes and transported to concentration camps. Music and its composition was a key role in society which was not to be easily forgotten no matter what the conditions were. Most musical pieces were written in a few camps, those camps being made simply for notable musicians, writers, artists, and leaders. However, one camp, by the name of Terezín (Teresienstadt), was the place where composers such as Hans Krasa, Pavel Haas, and Gideon Klein stayed (by the commission of Hitler, of course) during the Holocaust. Musical masterpieces were written at Terezin, including "Passacaglia" (Krasa), and had a profound affect on those who listened to them, whether it was a small audience in Terezin or people of this modern era.
The emotion/mood of orchestral pieces that were written during this time by Jewish composers living in the camps was of a deep longing for what once was and holding on to the last thread of hope that could lead to a brighter future. The depth in these pieces came from a two to three cellos which produced a floating, yet almost bouncy, foundation for the violins and violas that accompanied it. The tempo often reflected what kind of effect the composer wanted and the rhythm reflected the sentiment that corresponded to the slower or faster tempo.
Influences from countries outside of Europe, for example East Asia (China, Japan, etc.), gave pathways of direction for many pieces written during the time. "String Quartet, No. 2 Opus. 7," (Haas) has an almost Japanese feel to the more rhythmic, fast tempo sections of the piece, and releases a sense of free-moving emotions that could easily fill any audience with warmth and buoyancy.
For many, many years, music has been a way to escape from any pain or suffering in any of its forms. The composition of music has especially contributed to the survival mechanisms of inmates in camps like Terezín and we can see how that had brought to light many new and brilliant composers.

The Holocaust

Throughout history, the world has seen many serious tragedies. One of the worst tragedies is the loss of over 6 million Jews, gypsies, and other ethnic groups that died during the Holocaust in the mid 20th century. These people went through hardships that most of us can't even imagine, first being taken away from their homes, being stripped of all possessions, and then forced into hard manual labor camps or worse. These people not only lost their lives, but worst of all were treated like animals. we must learn from the mistakes that people have made for us so we won't have to make them for ourselves.

2013 - Ready, Set, Go!

We're getting ready for the third installment of the Palo Alto High School Community Book Event to study and discuss Elie Wiesel's memoir, Night. After a one-year hiatus, Facing History and Ourselves classes are organizing discussions about this powerful Holocaust memoir, and inviting adults from the community to come talk with students about the book.

Here are a few pictures from our most recent version of this event, in 2011.

We'll gather on the evening of March 4, 2013. Students will create posters, facilitate group conversations, teach new content, deliver short speeches, photograph and blog about the event. This event is for invited guests from the community, along with students and staff. I'll hand it off to our student bloggers to take over from here, and let them tell you some of their thoughts about the book, the class work and discussions, and their thoughts about our studies and our upcoming event.