Hope Amidst Terror

The article ‘Teens against Hitler ', by Lauren Tarshis, Describes the hardships and courageous acts of Ben Kamm, a Jewish ‘Partisan’ or fighter against Adolf Hitler during the Holocaust, and all Jews who faced the challenges during that tragic time. The Jewish only wanted a normal life, but German leader, Adolf Hitler, wanted to make sure all Jew would perish. So, they began piling Jews into concentration camps to kill them, Hitler would work them to death, starve them, and even murder them in gas chambers. Then, The ‘Partisans’ began to fight against Hitler and his army. This act of courage, despite the challenges and risks they faced, help many Jews survive the most horrific event in history, The Holocaust.

During this time, the people of Germany were trained to believe that there are other human beings that were of lesser quality than them. People like Adolf Hitler, wanted all the Jews eradicated. He was able to convince enough people that Jewish people are to blame for Germany’s loss of World War I. Hitler enlisted the help of men from Germany to help persecute all the Jewish people. The Jews got treated like their life was worthless and insignificant compared to the Christian Germans. The discrimination done to the Jewish people was more than just simple acts of violence. The Germans truly believed that the Jews deserved this punishment. The dehumanization done during the Holocaust affected the life of many people. One life in particular is Eliezer Wiesel. In his frightening novel Night, Eliezer Wiesel shows how the Nazis degraded millions of innocent people. He shares his experiences in a Jewish death camp called, Auschwitz. In this best selling novel he tells how he was demoralized into something that was less than human. He did not even recognize himself by the end of his journey. “When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy… Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion or political views, that place must-- at that moment-- become the center of the universe” (Nobel Peace Prize). Through his book and his participation in the Jewish community he wants to ensure that

“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal”. This quote by Steve Maraboli may be hard to understand, but the Holocaust texts: Night by Elie Wiesel, “A Three Year Old Saves His Mother” by Peter Gorog and “Jakob's Story” by Jakob Blankitny are great examples of where compassion is necessary to fight the despair in heartbreaking situations. In each work, compassion shows up from unexpected sources, helps motivate people to survive, and creates greater unification.

Oskar Schindler grew up in a prosperous Catholic family with all the privileges money could buy. He grew up to be a German industrialist, spy, and a member of the Nazi Party, who outwitted Hitler and the Nazis to save more Jews than any other from the deathly events of World War॥. With the help of his wife, Emilie Schindler, Oskar Schindler saved the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his ammunition and enamelware factories, spending millions bribing the SS, and eventually risking his life to rescue the Schindler-Jews (“The Oscar Schindler Story”)

Schindler's List is one of the most powerful movies of all time. It presents the indelible true story of enigmatic German businessman Oskar Schindler who becomes an unlikely saviour of more than 1100 Jews amid the barbaric Nazi reign. A German Catholic war profiteer, Schindler moved to Krakow in 1939 when Germany overran Poland. There he opens an enamelware factory that, on the advice of his Jewish accountant Itzhak Stern, was staffed by Jews from the nearby forced labour camp at Plaszow. Schindler's factory prospered though his contacts with the Nazi war machine and its local representatives, as well as his deft skill on the black market. Then, somewhere along the way, Schindler's devotion to self-interest was

In the book Ordinary Men, Christopher Browning tackles the question of why German citizens engaged in nefarious behavior that led to the deaths of millions of Jewish and other minorities throughout Europe. The question of what drove Germans to commit acts of genocide has been investigated by numerous historians, but unfortunately, no overarching answer for the crimes has yet been decided upon. However, certain theories are more popular than others. Daniel Goldhagen in his book, Hitler’s Willing Executioners, has expounded that the nature of the German culture before the Second World War was deeply embedded in anti-Semitic fervor, which in turn, acted as the catalyst for the events that would unfold into the Holocaust. It is at this

Throughout the novel, a miniscule act of heroism goes a long way. While working for Oskar Schindler, a Nazi, at his factory, Schindler portrays kindness. Leyson informs us that, ‘A true Nazi observing such an action, such humane treatment of a Jew, would have murdered them both’ (141). By simply making

I think Elie Wiesel was talking about compassion for many reasons. When I think of compassion, I think of sympathy. Sympathy is very important to people in rough times. Elie Wiesel is talking about compassion because it is important to understand what the victims of the Holocaust felt and went through. Since Elie Wiesel survived the Holocaust, he understands what others went through including him. He wants others to realize that it is very important to show compassion to prevent another Holocaust from happening.

Elie Wiesel talks about compassion because the lack of it caused the Holocaust. Compassion was needed during that event because no one felt for the Jews. If the Germans showed sincerity and empathy, the killing wouldn't have happened. Also, he talks about compassion because he wants the new generation to know about it. That is because the new generation will be the next generation of people in the world. So they must know to care for others during dark times. Finally, he talks about compassion because it is an important part of humanity. For us humans to live peacefully, we must show compassion.

When Elie was at the concentration camps, he had absolutely no say in his life. Elie was put in positions where he had no choice but to follow orders. Elie was a victim of the Holocaust because of the harm he was put through. When his family arrived at the camps the Nazi officers told them "Men to the left! Women to the right!"(Wiesel, 22)He was seperated from his moms and sisters at such a young age, not knowing if he would ever see them again. He had no clothes, and barely and food at this time. Elie was not only a victim because of what happen to him, but what he had to see. Multiple people died each day and there was nothing him or his father could do. In an interview with Oprah, Elie tells her that they had to adjust to death from how often it happen. Along with the book Night, Schindler's list also represents the events that took place during the Holocaust. This movie shows how the Jews were always targeted as victims. The Jews were always being taunted during the holocaust. Schindler himself used to the jew as cheap labor so he could make money off of them. The jews were constantly being told that work would set them free,

Schindler broke the law by treating the Jewish people better than the Nazi’s wanted them to

The film ‘Schindler’s List’, directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the novel Schindler’s Ark, by Thomas Keneally, gives us an insight into the corruption and destructive capabilities of humans. This film portrays many themes, all of which are evoked due to the factual historical event of the Jewish Holocaust which occurred in Germany during WWII. The exploration of the themes of hope, use and misuse of power, the nature of evil and courage makes this film prominent over others. Spielberg’s purpose in making this film was to raise awareness of the

From this moment on, the people that worked for Schindler were not just Jews, they were Schindlerjuden, people who he had the responsibility of protecting. Itzak Stern was no longer just his accountant and business manager, he was Schindler’s go-to person vital to the survival of the Schindlerjuden. Schindler grew closer to Stern as the war progressed and he began to regard Stern as an equal, sharing personal thoughts and decisions with him. After the war, Schindler relied on Stern and the other Schindlerjuden for support as he was never able to live a secure life because of the effect the war had on him.

As the film Schindler’s List starts after the Nazi Campaign has started, and tragically misses entirely out on the years of Oskar Schindler’s life leading up to that point. This is where Oskar Schindler meets Stern, a Jewish book-keeper. Who not seeing many Germans that demonstrate a friendliness towards the Jewish, realizes Oskar as a kind man: “The Aktion of the night of December 4th had convinced Stern that Schindler was, that rarity, and just goy” (p.75, Chapter 6) This quote is taken form that character of Stern and reveals to the reader of how a Jewish person that does not completely know Oskar Schindler as of yet, responds to Oskar Schindler’s Gracefulness and pleasant character.

Between 1933 and 1945, 11 million people were murdered in the Holocaust, of this six million were Jews and of this, 1.1 million were children. Of the nine million Jews who lived in Europe before the Holocaust, an estimated 2/3 were murdered. Despite all these odds and statistics, Vladek Spiegelman managed to survive, and then share his story with his son, so he could share their story with the world. Another reason that Vladek Spiegelman is a good subject to write a biography on is, his personality. He seems to have to sides to him, Vladek Spiegelman before war and Vladek Spiegelman post - war. We get to see the impact and affect the Holocaust had on it’s victims, with our own eyes. Moreover, Vladek Spiegelman is an inspiration and a reminder of the potential dark side to human nature. Thus, writing a biography on Mr. Spiegelman is informative, moving and above all, inspirational.