Yad Vashem
Two days before our pilgrimage to Poland, Kitat Maayan adjourned to Yad Vashem, Israel’s museum dedicated to commemorating and researching the Shoah. This was a great pre-requisite to visiting the concentration camps because the museum definitely touched a lot on them. When we first arrived, preceding our tour we visited and learned about the garden dedicated to the rights among the nations. There were many non-Jews witnessing the holocaust from the outside and saw how inhumane it was. Many non-Jews helped the Jews, some by obtaining false ID’s while others helped smuggling out Jews and possibly hide them. Some people gave Jews medical treatment or food. Anyone found giving water to a Jew they and there family was shot to death. So there was a big risk for these non-Jews but one some took. To be given the righteous among the nations award: you had to be a Non-Jew who took no payment and put their own life at risk. 26,000 got this award and either had a tree planted in their name or were written on a wall. They also had the opportunity to make Aliyah. Irena sendler
was a Non-Jewish polish social worker. Her job was to record all of sick and dead Jews and their demographics. She used her power to save Jews especillay children from the Warsaw Ghetto. There were 2,500 children she saved. She even kept track of who the kids were and who they were brought to so after war they’d be returned to the Jewish faith. When the Nazis caught he she was arrested and tortured and had both feet broken. She never gave up any information and was even sentenced to death and thankfully got out of it. She recently died at the age of 98 and is credited for saving the most Jews during the Shoah. The country of Denmark received the righteous among the nations awards because they sent their 7,500 Jews forced to camps across boats to safety in Sweden effectively saving about 90% of their Jewish population from tragic deaths.
Next went into the Museum and saw many disturbing things. German newspapers had “Jews are our enemy” on the bottom of the front page every day staring in 1938. Many German children’s books have antisemitism. A popular children’s game called was Jew out and the goal of the game was to kick the jew out of the city. Leading up to the Shoah Jewish doctors couldn’t treat non-jews and many boycott Jewish businesses. Additionally street signs included bad things about Jews. All germans got a free radio with 1 Anti-Semitic Nazi government channel. From 1938-39 all German citizens with disabilities infant through adult were murdered by lethal injection followed by carbon dioxide gassing used in gas chambers for Jews. You were jailed if you spoke out against the nazi regime and Non-Jews and got a re-education which included anti-semitism. Next we got to see the details about how the holocaust was executed and heard first hand accounts from survivors about what they saw. In this part of the museum we learned a lot about where and how the Nazis executed the Jews and even hear about specific concentration camps including Auschwitz, Tremblenka and Theresenstadt. Following the museum we saw the children’s memorial which showed us the faces of the children the Jewish people lost and truly depicted how important children’s lives were and how each and every one of them had a future that they lost. Next we went to the art museum which was really cool because the art was made during the Shoah but victims and it showed what the inside of the camp was like and what was going through there minds. Although there are many different ways to interpret art it was very interesting seeing some that was made from people who were murdered shortly after.
Finally we went to the education center where we were able to see survivors, historians and professors give their opinions on common questions about the holocaust. One question that I saw that had very different answers was Without Hitler would the holocaust have happened? There were a range of answers from if not hitler there would be another anti-semitic leader who would execute the same crazy ideas Hitler has, to, Hitler was the only reason the holocaust occurred. What do you guys think?
Finally we went to the education center where we were able to see survivors, historians and professors give their opinions on common questions about the holocaust. One question that I saw that had very different answers was Without Hitler would the holocaust have happened? There were a range of answers from if not hitler there would be another anti-semitic leader who would execute the same crazy ideas Hitler has, to, Hitler was the only reason the holocaust occurred. What do you guys think?
I don't think the Holocaust would have happened without Hitler. He planned a very detailed way to wipe out the Jews, and I don't think anyone else would have done it the way he did it. There may have been another anti-semitic ruler that maybe would have done some other very bad things, but not nearly as close as the Shoah.
ReplyDeleteHitler was the key to the holocaust. First, he got the support from the people. He had great speech making skills, which united the people for a common cause which was to make Germany prosper again. He picked up the people while they were at an all time low, and gave them a leader when they needed one most. By doing this, he had a tremendous amount of support. And by pointing a finger at the Jews, he united the Germans even more by giving them a common enemy. Some say that there would have been something like the holocaust eventually, even if Hitler never came to power, but I truly disagree with that too. Sure, there could be discrimination against the Jews. But nothing compares to the holocaust, so how could anything be "like" it?
ReplyDeleteI don't think the holocaust would have happened without Hitler. Perhaps another genocide could have happened but I don't think that it would be nearly as awful as the holocaust was. I agree with Sarah hitler planned everything extremely thoroughly. Hitler was a disgusting person but he also had a mental illness. If Hitler didn't take over Germany but the holocaust did happen I think that there would be different strategies overall.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the holocaust would have happened without Hitler. His ideas on anti-Semitism influenced the people and was the reason it happened. I think there could have been another leader with different views to make another major event happen but the Holocaust was on Hitler.
ReplyDeleteI can agree with both sides but I mean more towards that yes the holocaust would have happened. If Hitler didn't exist I think another person, if you can call them that, would have just filled his spot. It may not have been the same strategy and causality but it would still be a major genocide of the Jews.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the Holocaust would have happened without Hitler. I think a genocide again a race or Jews would have happened however because anti-Semitism was always a problem. I think Hitler put the wheels into motion and caused the action of the Holocaust
ReplyDeleteI think at some point the Holocaust would have happened to some extent without Hitler. There were an incredible amount of people who fully supported Hitler's actions and ideals, who, if they had the ability to take power as he did, could have taken similar actions to that of Hitler's.
ReplyDeleteHitler was a very charismatic and idealistic leader. Without him, the German economy and public morale would never have recuperated enough to undertake something as massive as the Holocaust. I think Germany would have triggered a global event, probably a second world war, maybe of a different order, but nothing quite like the conquering of Europe and the massacring of millions of people.
ReplyDeleteI think that a horrible truth of the world is that, although I truly believe people are inherently good at least to start with, there is no shortage of truly evil people. I believe that without Hitler, the holocaust would not be even remotely similar to what we know it as today, but I think there might've been a genocide of a different kind, maybe targeting a different race or religion. However, I think the holocaust is unique in history because the extent Germany went to kill jews as an already developed nation, which would not be the same without Hitler leading an Semitic wave of discrimination.
ReplyDeleteJewish hatred and race theory existed before Hitler, as did prominent fascist movements throughout Europe. Whether the Hitler's view would have been applied in a fascist government without him is hard to answer. All of Hitler's ideas were not created by him, but the seizing of power for the fascists within Germany maybe would not have taken place by someone else who had less ambition.
ReplyDeleteOnly someone as smart and as charismatic as Hitler could unite a dying country out of hatred for a different race. Granted, there was already prejudice against the Jews, but Hitler played a mental game with his country to have a uniform disgust for our culture. Without the intelligent mind of Hitler, there would have been no leadership to bring the German Nation together. Not only would the Holocaust not have happened, but Germany would have collapsed into an economic abyss without his power.
ReplyDeleteI think that the belief that a genocide against Jews would have happened without Hitler is a common misconception based on the fact that since Hitler did initiate the holocuast, someone else would have had too as well. I can't say that there just wouldn't be a genocide if it wasn't for hitler because there very well could have, however I don't think that it would be as bad as it was with Hitler. One thing you have to understand is how clearly mentally ill Hitler was and how we wanted to wipe out everybody unless they fit his perfect ideology of a Christian european society. Hitler wasn't just killing people because they were Jews, but also because of that. While as other genocides probably would have happened just for the one solid factor of antisemitism and not wanting everyone to be the same.
ReplyDeleteI think that the belief that a genocide against Jews would have happened without Hitler is a common misconception based on the fact that since Hitler did initiate the holocuast, someone else would have had too as well. I can't say that there just wouldn't be a genocide if it wasn't for hitler because there very well could have, however I don't think that it would be as bad as it was with Hitler. One thing you have to understand is how clearly mentally ill Hitler was and how we wanted to wipe out everybody unless they fit his perfect ideology of a Christian european society. Hitler wasn't just killing people because they were Jews, but also because of that. While as other genocides probably would have happened just for the one solid factor of antisemitism and not wanting everyone to be the same.
ReplyDeletei just realized i commented on this twice. oh well
ReplyDeleteI think Hitler bestowed antisemetic ideas on the German people. All are at fault, but Hitler was very key during the holocaust. He was the master mind behind the entirety of the holocaust. Not only did he use the Jews as a scapegoat, but he convinced his people that the murdering of innocent people was okay and even beneficial for Germany. Although Hitlers’ antisemetic views were not original, his tatics and political leadership were. I do think it is possible that the German people wouldve blamed someone else.
ReplyDelete