I think that an important theme in Elie Wiesel’s book Night is identity. So far, Elie has written that the victims of the holocaust have lost their identity. Families have been separated and broken apart.  People are not dressed well or at all. “The camp looked as though it had been through an epidemic: empty and dead. Only a few ‘well-dressed’ inmates were wandering between the blocks.”(47) Everyone who was in the holocaust lost all of their valuable possessions. Just a simple pair of shoes can mean so much to a single person. “‘ All right,’ he said. ‘I can arrange it. For a pittance: your shoes. I’ll give you another pair. I refused to give him my shoes. They were all I had left.”(48) The Jews had to follow instructions or else they would have been punished. They were almost like puppets.

I learned about genocide a long time ago in Hebrew school, so it did not really change me when we learned about it this time. When I was younger and learned about the genocide of the Jews for the first time, it was confusing. I remember that I did not know why people hated Jews. Maybe it was because of something that happened in the past or maybe they just did not like Jews for some reason. I will always remember from Hebrew school learning about how brutal the Nazis were to the Jews. No one should be treated like that. In the movie Life is Beautiful, when Guido is brought back to an alleyway and shot, it happened so very fast. I thought that he would have gotten whipped or hit, but shockingly we heard gunshots. All he wanted to do was to see his wife. Guido getting shot so quickly was very upsetting to me. When we watched Elie Wiesel’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, I felt proud of him.  He went through so much trauma and horrible events, that I could not imagine how difficult...

Before we started studying the Holocaust, I thought that I would not learn much, and I might not connect to it very much because I have no connection to the Holocaust. But I could not have been more wrong. I have learned so much from this unit; it has changed how I see humanity forever. I thought that I would not get depressed when reading Night, but I was wrong. The story told in Night was so well said by a fantastic writer. Every time that I would read a chapter, I would be depressed, but I would have learned something new and interesting. Night is one of those books that makes you depressed when reading it, but you want to read more of it. The Holocaust museum was very eye-opening. I would never have thought that many things would have survived, such as the many things that they had on display. The images were gruesome but interesting. It is still hard for me to believe that there was a time in human history where people put other people into ovens, and gas chambers, and let them di...

My experience learning the Holocaust changed me because of what the Nazis did to the Jews and and how they treated them. I  knew a little bit about the Holocaust before but not all the details. When I was taught it I was so stunned I did not believe that this was even real. In the book Night Elie (Author/Survivor) did not believe what was happening to people at the concentration camp although he saw it with his own eyes. In the movie Life Is Beautiful a family was taken away to a concentration camp and trying to survive. This movie showed me what a concentration camp was like and how the Nazis treated the prisoners their. Also what work the prisoners had to do. What will stay with me from this unit is how the people had so much faith and hope while the Holocaust was happening.

When this unit started, I was briefly informed about the Holocaust, but I had no idea how gruesome and truly awful it was. It’s just shocking to me that something like that actually happened, and that it wasn’t that long ago. The whole concept of genocide just makes me sick. I mean it’s just horrific in so many ways that I can’t even explain. When our class went to the Holocaust Museum I was honestly moved from the images and for some reason the room full of shoes just took my breath away. I think it’s because all of it just didn’t seem real until I actually saw those shoes right in front of me. The main things that stuck out in my mind about this unit are: how easy it was for Hitler to rise to power and manage to kill millions; how terribly Jews were treated in and out of the concentration camps, and how so many people believed in the absurd idea of racial superiority.

Before starting this unit I did not fully understand what happened during the Holocaust. After going to the Holocaust museum, reading Night , and having class discussions I feel like I really get what happened during that event. This has really been a very emotional pass few weeks but I am very grateful that we are getting educated about this so future generations will not do the same thing. I see things differently now. During the unit I really saw haw innocent people were mistreated and how unfair it was. We are so lucky that this is not happening to us right now. While watching Wiesel's Nobel Prize acceptance speech, I really appreciated him wanting to share his truly amazing story with the world and how great it was the he survived something like that.

While I was learning about the Holocaust and other devastating genocides I felt many different emotions sad, surprised, and heart broken. These devastating events also changed me in many ways, especially when they talk about the Jewish children being ripped away from their parents and not even knowing why. This hit me because if I was in this situation I wouldn’t know how to handle myself because I have grown up with my mom and dad and I wouldn’t know what to do without them. Something that I will take away from this unit is never assume everything is okay in the world because the Holocaust was one of the biggest events in world history and not very many people knew about it or they knew about it and they didn’t believe people could be so cruel. One way that I look at history different now is people in different countries don’t have the same rights that we do in the United States. If people in some countries said something that their leader didn’t like they could be killed, while peop...

My experience studying the Holocaust over the last few weeks has definitely made a huge impact on me. I knew what the Holocaust was before this unit, and I knew that it was a horrible thing, but I didn’t truly know the full depth of it. I have learned so much about the true horrors of the Holocaust, and I have learned about what humans are really capable of. Visiting the Holocaust museum helped the fact that all this information I was reading about is true sink in. Although it was very depressing and horrific to learn about, Im so glad that I have. All kids should learn in depth about the Holocaust to ensure we don’t repeat history. In Night there was an ongoing theme of hope. This theme was also shown in all of the other stories we read and films we watched. I think this was a common theme because in all honesty, all the people had left when they were exiled to concentration camps, enslaved, and stripped of everything they had, was hope. Without hope, we lose our will to live, and w...

Blog Post #5 Reflection of Experience Studying Holocaust I didn't exactly know what the Holocaust was before this unit started. The only thing I knew about it was Adolf Hitler and nazis had some part in jews dying. Now that we have looked further in to all of this, I now know how terrible the Holocaust actually was. Around 2.7 million jews murdered during 1942. I take away from this unit three thoughts:   Over many centuries, things change for the better in one place and for the worse in another.  Most people are capable of the most horrible deeds to others. We have to be aware of what goes on in the world and stand against all evil acts.  Much of what I read and the pictures I saw don’t seem real and so far away from now. The most real and fearful image in my mind are the chimneys pouring out flames and smoke as they burned live babies, children, and people.  I agree with Mr. Wiesel “who would allow such crimes to be committed? How could the world r...

Death surrounded the camp, Silently suffocating the inmates, Gunshots rang throughout the night, Cries of agony heard constantly, Slowly became normal, in the life of an inmate, The forced labor in the fields killed many strong men The hot weather and wet air made work unbearable, A new inmate entered the camp He was nine years old. Survival to see his family was all he wanted Repeating the words never fall down while at work in the fields kept him alive He escaped the camp He eluded death. His name was Arn Chorn-Pond Survivor of the Cambodian Genocide

I never really knew what happened in the Holocaust before. I just knew that there were Nazis and death. As I've been studying in this unit, I have learned so much more about it. Such a tragic experience. I feel awful for those who had to go through it. The Holocaust was a terrible thing. I still don't understand why they did it. Just because they were different? Not a big enough reason for me. Separated from families. Starved, beaten, burned to death. Awful awful. I can't believe it happened. I see the world differently now. The fact that people were treated like this. And the fact that other people did it! Luckily it's not like that now. But hating someone because they're different and have a different religion and look different, that's wrong. I hope that never happens again in my lifetime, and I hope it doesn't happen at all. The Holocaust has changed my life. I will never look at people the same again. Even if they didn't do it, just the thought of k...

For your final blog post, reflect on the totality of your experience studying the Holocaust. How has learning and reading about genocide over the past few weeks changed you? How do you perceive humanity and/or history differently now?  What will you take away from this unit? In what ways can we bear witness? In your response, you must reference Night , especially Wiesel’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech, as well as at least one other text we have studied (“Buna,” One Survivor Remembers , Life is Beautiful , the above article, your visit to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum).   For this post, you don't need to use textual evidence, but you do need to reflect in a thoughtful and specific way.

The theme that I choose that impacts Elies life experiences is family. The reason I chose family is because I believe having his family involved in everything just makes it so much worse of an experience but it makes it easier to survive for him because he has his father to help him with anything and he can help his father. “ don't worry son. Go to sleep. I'll watch over you.’ ‘You first father. Sleep” (Wiesel 89). I can connect to this theme because when family is their to help you everything is so much easier to me. No matter how hard the task is or what you have to do family always helps. Another reason I chose family is because Elie's family was always giving him emotional and mental support even when he doesn't know it. “But deep inside, I knew that sleep meant to die. And something in me rebelled against that death” (Wiesel 89). I can connect to this theme because the thought of a family member leaving you is unbearable so when you put yourself in a family membe...

Never I will never forget The first night May 1944 That ruined my life forever The first time I entered A concentration camp   The first time I witnessed the flames The first time I witnessed death   Someone being hung Children and adults Scared faces Everyday I thought to myself Will I ever get out of here Why would my god My eternal master Let something this horrible Happen to us Jews

Burned The Nights were Cold, Dark It was around midnight. Everybody was outside. Watching a Fire burn As The Night passed by. The Fire It Burned faster. Disappearing into the night sky. Much Like those innocent lives taken Without Reason. And Now It Spreads Finding New places to Go To run Taking lives needlessly. Mourning the lives of the innocent Jews

Unseeing Eyes The stars were but sparks of the immense conflagration that was consuming us This conflagration to be extinguished one day Nothing would be left in the sky Nothing but extinct stars and unseeing eyes We looked past We saw danger We felt threatened But there were only petrified people on the other side There was no danger We had no right We took everything from them We were the judge and executioner We judged because we thought we were better We thought we were doing it for our people For our leader   They had rights They had lives to live Stories to tell There are no stars to see Everything in the sky has been extinguished We blew out the fire We took everything for granted We didn’t see Unseeing eyes in the sky

  "Jewish refugee boys at a children's home in France" ↑ When Jewish families were split apart during the war, Boys were often by themselves on the run or in children's homes. In this picture, The Boys were taken to France by the "Children's Aid Society" to the Homes so they were safer than in Nazi Germany. The Kids in the homes wee from the ages of New Borns to 15 year olds. During the wars only some kids made it to the Children's Homes. Some were killed and some survived with out ever going to one.

Found: Guide my venturing in this world, A world full of secrets, A world unknown Where hope is lost, And darkness is found Secrets and sadness Sigh of a child Eyes full yet empty Empty of light A smile in the distance A flickering light From it came life and strength In the light was a smile From the smile found a prayer And there the prayer found me

Agitation and Anguish lies in Auschwitz Betrayed by God they say No faith in God or humanity Too skinny, too weak to fight No reason to live Starvation and death among all Faces colorless like a corpse, just like they were soon to be Loss of families and homes, happiness and dignity A black hole rests in their hearts With nothing left to lose All that remains is hope Hope can free them from this dread and despair Dread and despair has created this hate Hate spreads Few left They share their stories We listen

Harmony Darkness Drip drop drip drop Beads of unending anger and pain fall splattering to the ground Drip drop drip drop Dozens of nameless prisoners hang from black gallows Drip drop drip drop Thousands of miserable lives cry out towards the sky Caged men scream out for mercy Drip drop drip drop Faceless oppressors shut the gates Drip drop drip drop Poisonous mist spreads left and right Terror Suffering Darkness Peace Drip drop drip drop