“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.

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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.

Last Word.

I felt that the Night event went swell. I got the chance to go and listen to talks about resistance and targets of genocide. The talk I went to on resistance was very interesting. I mainly chose to go to that talk because I just wanted to learn more about resistance and see what the kids running it had to say. Then the talk I went to on Targets of Genocide was cool too! It was really interesting to hear about different groups that faced mass-genocide during the holocaust along with the Jews.

From my perspective, the event seemed to go great! I haven't heard a single complaint about it. The discussions seemed to turn out very well and everyone seems happy with the end result of their work!

Music in the Holocaust

One of the discussion groups that I attended at the event was the subject of music composed during the Holocaust, led by Dahae and Hannah from first period. At the second discussion, there were about seven people in the audience.

The audience didn't know much about Holocaust music when the presentation began. We first learned about how Jews in concentration camps got the chance to compose music: The ideal concentration camp, the fortress of Terezin. The world was told that Hitler had set aside a town for Jews in order to be protected from the dangers of war. This town, built in the city-fortress of Terezin, was the only camp opened to the Red Cross during the war. Prisoners were shipped there, and it produced several propoganda films during the war showing prisoners splashing in a nearby lake, apparently having fun. When the Red Cross came to visit, the storefronts were filled with bread and candies and other goods. The Red Cross concluded that the Nazis were treating the Jews of Terazine well, and were therefore treating the Jews of Austerwitz and Birknau and the other camps just as well.

In fact, the prisoners of Terazine were shipped off to be gassed after they were no longer needed. Hans Krasa and Victor Ullmann, the composers of the two music pieces that we listened to, were both murdered at the other death camps.

At the camps, to further the illusion that it was a place where prisoners were treated well, Jews were permitted and ordered to compose music. There were enough musicians for two full orchestras in Terezin. At the beginning of the war, musical instruments were not allowed in camps, so musicians would break down their instruments into component parts and hide those in their clothing. Later in the war, the ban on instruments was relaxed.

When we had learned the background of the composition of the music, we turned down the lights and listened to a piece by Hans Krasa. I don't know the name of the piece, but here is what I have in my notes: It begins with a single cellow, playing slow and low, sadly. A violin begins to play, matching the mood but not the melody, playing at a much higher pitch. They go on in this manner, and then two more violins begin, playing the same notes at different octaves at the same time. The doubled melody rises and falls against the slow cellow and the high violin. Suddenly the doubled strings are silent, and there is a section where violins are plucked rhythmically. cautiously, as a single high thread is played by the first violin. Then a violin plays boldly, almost triumphantly in counterpoint to the mood of the rest of the piece, and is quickly silenced.

One member of the audience thought that the rhythmic, soft plucking reminded him of footsteps tiptoeing around, trying not to draw attention. "As long as food was coming that day and no one was being threatened, then it was a good day." I thought that each string represented a different prisoner's story, and that the doubled strings were the story of a boy and his father, or a girl and her mother staying together through the war, only to be killed before the end later.

The presentation was done well, and the audience was interested the whole time. I learned a lot, and so did everyone else.