The Holocaust and the Jews: An Introduction to

Night

Romans destroy Jerusalem in AD 66 and name the area Palestine.

The destruction is not motivated by hate, but simply by war.

Finding a Homeland

Jewish people are invited to live in European Countries like Germany and France.

They are given autonomy (the can rule themselves.

These countries hoped that Jews would revitalize the economy because of their:

1. Crafts2. Long distance trade with other parts of

Europe/Muslim countries3. Money lending4. Their inability to hold land

Jews in Europe

Usury=lending money with interestSome Christians believe Jews are using

usury to suck the Christian world dry of money

In reality, Jews are one of the only groups of people who can lend money because

the Catholic Church has determined that it is a sin.

Usury

1215—council decides that Jews cannot appear in public during the week of Easter and that they must wear distinctive markings.

Many countries began temporarily expelling them and incurring their date (taking their money).

GhettosBarrio Santa Cruz in Spain

Accusations

Emancipation1. Legal Equality within Western Europe2. Included as citizens, but not as a separate

nations3. Jews needed to give up Yiddish, move to

cities, and acquire businesses/professions

During the Enlightenment (1800s)

Jews by and large maintained religion onlyThe Jewish religion is one of study, so Jews

began to prosper in urban professionsEx. Imperial Germany (mid 1800s):

Jews made up less than 1% of the populationJews owned 23% of the banks

Effects of Emancipation

Most Jews lived in Russia/eastern Europe at this time

Pogroms 1881-1905, post WWI and pre WWII

Jews in Russia

After WWI, the Germany economy was in ruins.

There were many political parties which fell under the following categories: communists, social democrats, and fascists.

Post WWI Germany

One fascist party, known as the Nazi party, advocated private ownership of industry, outlawed democracy, and gave control of the military to the army and the wealthy.

They also began to restrict the activities of certain groups of people, including Jews.

The Nazi Party

Decorated war veteran of WWI.He rose quickly in the Nazi party.He was a strong advocate of Pan-Germanism

and anti-semetism (despite his heritage).He saw Jews as a target because of their

economic success during hard times.

Adolf Hitler

The Holocaust targeted Jews as well asThe Holocaust caused the deaths of 11-14 million

people, including approx. 6 million Jews.The Holocaust also targeted Romani/Sinti

(commonly know as gypsies), Soviet prisoners of war, Polish and Soviet civilians, homosexuals, people with disabilities, Jehovah’s Witnesses and other political and religious opponents.

Hitler’s Targets

Romanian born Holocaust survivorHe has written 57 books, including Night, a

work based on his experiences as a prisoner of Nazi concentration camps.

In 1986 he won the Nobel Peace Peace Prize for his work.

Elie Wiesel