GHETTO LIFE DURING THE HOLOCAUST Ghetto Life During

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GHETTO LIFE DURING THE HOLOCAUST “Ghetto Life During the Holocaust”

GHETTO LIFE DURING THE HOLOCAUST “Ghetto Life During the Holocaust”

o Ghetto: A section of a city in which members of a minority group

o Ghetto: A section of a city in which members of a minority group live because of social, legal, or economic pressure. (Italian)

BEFORE THE GHETTOS The bench reads, “ONLY for JEWS!” o The Nuremberg Laws were

BEFORE THE GHETTOS The bench reads, “ONLY for JEWS!” o The Nuremberg Laws were two laws which formally excluded the Jews from German life, as well as took away some of their natural rights. They were first declared at the annual Nazi rally held in Nuremberg in 1935. At that rally, Hitler delivered a rousing speech about the Jewish “situation”, and the two laws were approved.

BEFORE THE GHETTOS o On account of these laws German Jews lost their independence

BEFORE THE GHETTOS o On account of these laws German Jews lost their independence from night to morning. Jews were no longer allowed to vote or hold public offices since they were no longer considered citizens. The Nuremberg Laws also made it more difficult for the Jews to go out into public places such as theater or shops. Jews were not even allowed to seek medical attention anymore.

BEFORE THE GHETTOS o Only 1% of Jews were middle class and prosperous before

BEFORE THE GHETTOS o Only 1% of Jews were middle class and prosperous before the Holocaust.

BEFORE THE GHETTOS o Soon , all Jews were recognized by the big red

BEFORE THE GHETTOS o Soon , all Jews were recognized by the big red "J", which was short for "Jude, " that was stamped on their passports. "Jews Forbidden" signs also went up all over Germany, which made it very difficult for the Jews to get service or lodge in hotels.

Most of the Ghettos were located in Eastern Europe.

Most of the Ghettos were located in Eastern Europe.

ARRIVING AT THE GHETTOS o Confining Jews in ghettos was not Hitler's brainchild. For

ARRIVING AT THE GHETTOS o Confining Jews in ghettos was not Hitler's brainchild. For centuries, Jews had faced persecution, and were often forced to live in designated areas called ghettos. The Nazis' ghettos differed, however, in that they were a preliminary step in the annihilation of the Jews, rather than a method to just isolate them from the rest of society. As the war against the Jews progressed, the ghettos became transition areas, used as collection points for deportation to death camps and concentration camps

Warsaw Ghetto o o The most famous Ghetto was the Warsaw Ghetto. Warsaw was

Warsaw Ghetto o o The most famous Ghetto was the Warsaw Ghetto. Warsaw was a city in which the 335, 000 Jews represented about one third of the population. More Jews were herded into Warsaw, so the Jewish population rose to about 450, 000. These Jews were thrown into the slum area of town, 2. 3% of the city area, and walled off.

Warsaw Ghetto 1940

Warsaw Ghetto 1940

LIFE IN THE GHETTO Young girl dead of starvation o o o There was

LIFE IN THE GHETTO Young girl dead of starvation o o o There was no sanitation. Pestilence swept through and killed many Jews. Life in the ghetto was intolerable. Pestilence: The general term for a contagious disease that spreads very rapidly

LIFE IN THE GHETTO o Overcrowding was common. One apartment might have several families

LIFE IN THE GHETTO o Overcrowding was common. One apartment might have several families living in it. Plumbing broke down, and human waste was thrown in the streets along with the garbage.

LIFE IN THE GHETTO o o Some individuals killed themselves to escape their hopeless

LIFE IN THE GHETTO o o Some individuals killed themselves to escape their hopeless lives. Many froze to death in the winter.

LIFE IN THE GHETTO o o If a person was not fit for work,

LIFE IN THE GHETTO o o If a person was not fit for work, then he did not get food tickets. That meant death by starvation. Over 75, 000 people died of disease and starvation.

Children smuggled food into the ghettos

Children smuggled food into the ghettos

LIFE IN THE GHETTO o The Jews of the ghetto had no idea what

LIFE IN THE GHETTO o The Jews of the ghetto had no idea what the Germans had in mind. At first, they thought the Nazis were trying to starve them to death or kill them off with plagues.

JEWISH COUNCIL o The ghettos were run by Jewish councils, (Judenrat) who were responsible

JEWISH COUNCIL o The ghettos were run by Jewish councils, (Judenrat) who were responsible for carrying out Nazi orders.

Removal from the Ghettos o The ghettos were just a step in the process

Removal from the Ghettos o The ghettos were just a step in the process of removing Jews from the earth. Nazis eventually began ordering thousands of Jews at a time into concentration camps.

Removal from the Ghettos o Soldiers would order families to leave their homes at

Removal from the Ghettos o Soldiers would order families to leave their homes at a moment’s notice, packing only what they could fit into one bag or suitcase.

Removal from the Ghettos o The transports bound for Auschwitz and other concentration camps

Removal from the Ghettos o The transports bound for Auschwitz and other concentration camps would come into the ghettos and demand the removal of 1, 000 Jews. The Council's rationalization was, "If we did not send off the one thousand, they would ask for two thousand. ”

Deportation of Jewish Children

Deportation of Jewish Children

JEWISH LIFE CONTINUES Moving Into the Ghetto o It must be noted that in

JEWISH LIFE CONTINUES Moving Into the Ghetto o It must be noted that in spite of the unbelievable ghetto conditions, Jewish life – to the extent that it could – went on. The Jewish studies, education, and holiday observances – all still went on, in spite of the fact that getting caught could mean death.

Writing Assignment o o o In 8 – 10 sentences, answer the following questions:

Writing Assignment o o o In 8 – 10 sentences, answer the following questions: Do you believe you would have survived living in the “Ghetto” during the Holocaust period? What would you do to survive? Would you want to survive? Would you save others or look out for yourself? What five items would you take with you if you were told to pack at a moment’s notice?