- 1. Frequently Asked Questions about THE HOLOCAUST
2. What Does Holocaust Mean?
- Great destruction resulting in the
- extensive loss of life, especially by fire.
- The genocide of European Jews and
- others by the Nazis during World War II.
3. Who Were the Nazis?
- The Nazi party was founded in Germany on January 15, 1919.
- The party centered around anti-Semitism and racist
ideology.
- Hitler was the F hrer, or leader, of the Nazis.
- The Nazis began with 6,000 members and grew to 8.5 million
members by 1945.
4. Sub-Organizations:
5. What Is the Swastika?
- The swastika (from Sanskritsvastika ) is an equilateral cross
with its arms bent at right angles in either left-facing ( ) or
right-facing ( ) direction. The swastika is a holy symbol in
Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. In the West, it is more widely
known as a symbol of Nazism (selected by Hitler for his
regime).
6. Are There Nazis Today?
- Yes.The termNeo-Nazismis the post-WWII brand of Nazism embraced
by various anti-Semitic and racist groups the world over.Neo-Nazis
use Nazi symbols (like the swastika) and glorify Hitler and the
horrific crimes carried out by the Nazis.Neo-Nazis are sometimes
referred to asSkinheadsbecause it is common to shave your head as a
sign of membership.
7. Why Were Jews the Main Target?
- Anti-Semitism: hostility, aggression, and/or discrimination
against Jews and Judaism.
- Different Christian groups have targeted Jews for thousands of
years.
- After WWI, Germany was in bad shape and needed a
scapegoat.
- Stereotypes against Jews were abundant.
8. How Did They Know Who Was Jewish?
- Synagogue congregation lists
- All-Jewish neighborhoods were common
9. Who Else Was Discriminated Against?
- Mentally and Physically Disabled
- Political Activists and Apolitical Persons
10. What Was Hitlers Final Solution?
- Hitlers final solution of the Jewish question was to
exterminate all Jews in Western Europe.His plan was to ultimately
create the perfect Aryan race: a population of people who were
German, white, Christian, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed.Anyone who
did not fit this profile would be killed.
11. What Does Aryan Mean?
- Aryanis the Nazi term for what they considered to be the
perfect German race.It is not a racial term and has no biological
validity.It is simply a word made up by the Nazis to refer to a
racial ideal that they claimed was superiora master race.
12. 13. Didthe Jews Fight Back?
- Yes, there was much resistance fighting.Not all Jews took up
arms and became resistance fighters in the forests or ghettos,
though.Some fought back in other ways, such as writing (like Anne
Frank) to record what was happening.
14. How Many People Died?
- Approximately6 million Jewswere killed in the Holocaust (about
2 out of every 3 Jews living in Europe at the time).
- In addition, some5 million other personswere killed.
- Of the 11 million total victims,1.5 million were children
.
15. 25,000 Pairs =ONEDAYS COLLECTION 16. What Were the
Ghettos?
- During World War II, ghettos were established by the Nazis to
confine Jews into tightly packed areas of the cities of Eastern
Europe.
17. Life in the Ghettos
- Families were crowded into tight, dirty living spaces (a space
meant for one family might end up housing as many as fifty)
- Nazis were sole providers of food, and often the Jews lived on
only a couple hundred calories a day (compared to the typical 2,000
recommended by dieticians)
- No electricity, heat, or running water in most cases
- No school or jobs, but forced labor was common
18. Transportation to the Concentration Camps
- Victims were transported to the concentration camps in train
cattle cars
- There were typically 80-100 people crammed into each car
- The journey sometimes lasted up to a week
- No food, water, or fresh air provided
- Many people died in the cattle cars
19. Arrival at the Camps
- Victims separated by gender
- Victims separated by healthy and unhealthy (the unhealthy would
be killed immediately)
- Those that were too old or too young were also killed
immediately
- Families were torn apart, often never to see each other
again
20. Arrival at the Camps
- Prisoners were stripped and given threadbare uniforms to
wear
- All possessions were confiscated (like eyeglasses, jewelry,
prayer books, etc.)
21. Life at the Camps
- Daily roll call (usually at least twice a day) lasted
hours
- Barracks held hundreds of victimsdisease spread quickly
- Little to no food provided; what was provided was unhealthy and
stale
- Hours of cruel, inhumane labor
22. 23. 24. What Kinds of Medical Experiments Were
Performed?
- Sterilization and Gynecological Torture
- SurgicalLimb and Organ Removal
25. 26. Death at the Camps
- Electrified and Barbed Fences
27. 28. 29. 30. 31. Who Liberated the Camps?
- Beginning in January 1945, the Allied forces began moving in
and liberating the camps.
- The liberating forces were primarily American, Russian, and
British.
- What they found shocked them.
32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. What Happened Afterwards?
- Displaced Persons Camps (many adults and children were the sole
survivors of their families and had nowhere to go)
- Many did not or could not return home because anti-Semitism
still persisted
- Some who did return home were tortured, beaten, and killed out
of lingering fear and hatred