The Persecution Of European Jews During The Holocaust

The Holocaust was the attempt by the Nazi regime to systematically exterminate the European Jewish race during World War II. The Holocaust was a reference to the murder of around six million Jews and other minority groups such as homosexuals, gypsies and the disabled (Wiesel, 2008).

Is the definition of “Exterminate.” A harsh, fierce word that strikes fear into an opponent’s heart. The holocaust was a German regime to rid all Jews in Europe; they were believed to be an inferior race to the superior “German race.” The Germans thought they were “racially superior,” group. The word “Holocaust” was originated as a Greek word that means, “Sacrifice by fire.” The first signs of the word Holocaust used was back in 1942 when the London News Chronicle spoke of this as “A holocaust” And Whilst the extermination of Jewish peoples other groups Nazi’s deemed inferior were targeted these were: Homosexuals, Jehovah’s witnesses, the disabled, Communists, gypsies, socialist and also some Slavic peoples. There are

All throughout time, the Jewish people went through a lot. Judaism has fought through many challenges that have threatened its existence. One of the most iconic events for Judaism in history was the Holocaust. Although most of the events of the Holocaust are known to the world, there are still questions about the topic and much to learn. Some questions about the Judaism during the Holocaust are ‘In what ways were the Jewish people discriminated against during the Holocaust?’, ‘How did the Jewish people react to the Nazi force invasions?’, and ‘What happened to the Jewish people and religion after the Holocaust?’.

The Holocaust was a tragic period in the world where Germans persecuted anyone they felt was inferior to them, mostly Jews. Millions of lives were persecuted for nothing. It has been about 80 years since the Holocaust. Nazi’s who participated in the Holocaust are now almost a decade old. But, that doesn’t exempt them from their crimes. Survivors and souls that have died need justice. Getting older shouldn’t exempt them from the crimes they have committed, if persecution of these criminals isn’t remembered, then it isn’t really justice, and a single person is responsible for their actions they know right from wrong, and they knew what they were doing was wrong.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, legal is defined as “conforming to or permitted by law or established rule” (merriam webster). It then defines moral as, “expressing or teaching a conception or right behavior” (merriam webster). Dr. King gives a touching look at the difference between legality and morality with the example of events that took place with Germany under the leadership of Hitler. He explains that in Nazi Germany, it was “legal” to abuse and humiliate Jews. He then states that the comforting and aiding to Jews in Nazi Germany was illegal. While the first is legal and the second is illegal, what is legal is blatantly immoral whereas what is illegal is boldly moral. The abuse and mistreatment of Jews during the

Many know about the Holocaust and maybe what had occurred during it, but not everyone knows why it began. Lots of conflicts helped lead up to the Holocaust. After World War I Germany was pretty wound-up. There were many conflicts around either due to man or nature. For example there was the wreckage from World War I as well as debts from it as well. Other conflicts that led up to the Holocaust were those between the German and Jewish people. One event that caused conflict between German and Jewish people was racial anti- Semitism, along with propaganda. Another was through political cartoons and lastly with racial laws that were put in place.

Hitler invented a program known as ‘The Holocaust’ a systematic extermination of any Jews, gypsies, disabled, and people who were of different religious background as Hitler believed in a pure race. Hitler persecuted any individuals who he saw would be a potential threat to his rise in power. He persecuted and executed social groups such as the Jews, gypsies, disabled, and people who were of different religious background as they were regarded as ‘inferior’. In the year 1933, Jews numbered approxiamently 525,000 (0.8% of the German population) (Museum, German Jews During The Holocaust, 1939–1945, 2015). Hitler had firm racial policies and believed that non Germans should not have any citizenship rights. Many of these people were placed into concentration camps (Museum, Concentration Camps, 1933–1939, 2015).

Who are the Jews and how did they manage to survive during the time of the Holocaust? This is a question that is often brought up among people and can be answered with help of those who survived and those who worked in helping save the Jews. The Jews are simply people who have their own religious beliefs and practices just like any other religious group. (www.remember.org “Who are the Jews”) The religious and cultural aspects of the Jews was often looked upon as elaborate and sophisticated to those who viewed it from the outside such as the Christians. (Kagan, Ozment, Turner 271) The Jews practices include dietary laws, the Jewish calendar, sabbath and festival observance , ritual clothing, and life cycle events. The Jews may not eat certain foods or foods that does not have the blood removed. In order to set dates, the Jews use both lunar and solar calendars. The Jewish people celebrate many different holidays and festivals that have their own rituals to go along with them. For example, “Rosh Hashanah” or the new year is celebrated and Jews do not attend school or do work on that day. The Jews also have different ways of dressing for occasions. During prayer, a male must wear a skull cap that covers the head, phylacteries which are Torah passages written on parchment with leather straps and are usually worn on the forehead and left arm, and fringed shawls are also worn. Every Jew must also go through certain life cycles. Every male will be circumcised on the eighth day

Jewish and Hebrew peoples are best known as the targets of the Nazis and Adolf Hitler, though many other groups were persecuted. Details of those persecuted were shared in PBS Inside The Nazi State (“Inside the Nazi State”) PBS. 2006; as well as Jewish people, Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roma Gypsies, homosexuals, and the disabled were said to be housed in Auschwitz or killed on cite.

How did the Holocaust begin exactly? Well, an individual named, Adolf Hitler came to help get through the devastation that Germany was going through and he was also the leader (Chancellor) of the Nazi’s, then the First World War started and Germany lost, after the World War, Hitler blamed it all on the Jews for losing. He also blamed the Jews, other races, and homosexuals for not being able to sign the treaty of Versailles. This event happened between January 30th, 1933 and May 8, 1945.

It is without a doubt that the Holocaust will forever go down in history as one of the most heinous crimes against humanity. Even years after the Nazi leadership, effects of the war still haunt the streets of Germany and the memories of the few survivors still alive today. Hitler and his Nazi regime held power in Germany from 1939 until 1945, when they were defeated by the Allied forces (Davenport 10). Within that time, Hitler was responsible for the death of six million Jewish people, and millions of other non-Jews. (Davenport 10) However, when the war ended, it was a big question as to who to blame for these horrendous crimes. Several of Hitler’s head leaders, and Hitler himself, either committed suicide or went into hiding before they

“There was no choice.” Schindler said these words, reflecting on his moral decision to save over 1000 Jews from death and labor camps. He knew there was a right way, and also a wrong way, morally, and that he had no other option. For other industrialists in Schindler 's position, it wasn 't as easy a choice. During the Third Reich, German industrialists had a moral decision to make: whether to cooperate with the Nazis and profit from the persecution of Jews, or to resist and risk their lives and fortune. The Nazis created laws in order to persecute Jews, which contributed to the industrialists’ decisions. In 1939, Jews were made to wear identifying stars, and they were forced to live together in isolated ghettos. In the next few years, more laws were passed inflicting pain and cruelty upon Jews. Then, the Nazis moved beyond persecution, and threatened Jewish people’s jobs and economic stability. First, Jews had to register their property, and then, their privately-owned businesses were sold to non-Jewish German industrialists at a very low price. When their companies were sold, all of their managers and employees were kicked out. Later, once Jews were forced to work in non-Jewish Germans’ factories, a rule was passed in the spring of 1940, declaring that the wages of all the Jewish workers went directly to the SS, instead of the actual workers. Soon after, everyone except for “work-essential” Jews had to leave the city, causing every Jew to desperately try to find

The Holocaust did not begin until the late 1930’s, but events leading to the Holocaust began much earlier. In 1918 at the end of World War I, the path to the Holocaust began (“The History Place – Holocaust Timeline”). Germany lost the war and was required to the sign the Versailles Treaty. As a result, unrest in the government created opportunities for a new regime to take over (“A Changed World: The Continuing Impact of the Holocaust”).

The Holocaust is defined as destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war. Following 1945, the word has taken on a new meaning referring to the mass slaughtering of millions of European Jews as well as other persecuted groups (gypsies and homosexuals), by the German Nazi regime during the Second World War. In Europe the Jews experienced anti-Semitism (hostility or prejudice against Jews) which dated back to the ancient world, to the time when the Jewish temples were destroyed and they were forced to leave Palestine by Roman authorities. This wide-spread hatred of the Jews augmented the virulent mindset behind the Holocaust.

Personal satisfaction in a ghetto was likely very little over that in an inhumane imprisonment. In June 1941, Germany proceeded with its intrusion of Europe by assaulting and catching a portion of the western U.S.S.R. At this point, the vast majority of the Jews in Europe now lived in lands controlled by Nazi Germany. The SS sent 3000 demise squads, or "Einstagruppen", to dispatch Jews in extensive numbers. In September 1941, all Jews were compelled to wear yellow Stars of David on their arms or coats. A Jew could be executed with little repercussions for not showing the Star of David out in the open. A portion of the principal Jewish protection from the Final Solution came in 1943, when the procedure of expelling to focus and concentration camps was going all out. The Warsaw ghetto in Poland, once numbering more than 365,000, had been decreased to just 65,000 by the proceeding with evacuation of Jews to camps in different grounds. At the point when the Nazis came to round up the rest of the tenants of the ghetto, they were met with protection from the little power of outfitted Jews. The revolt went on for very nearly three weeks previously