Night and the Holocaust CONTENTS What is the

Night and the Holocaust CONTENTS: • What is the Holocaust? • Matisyahu – “Jerusalem” • Examining Art by David Olère

what comes to mind when you hear the word “holocaust”?

Holocaust from Greek holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" Why do you think people use this word to describe the decimation of Jews in World War II? What sorts of things did the Holocaust destroy? [ Back to Main Menu ]

Why the Holocaust happened… v v v After World War One, Germany and its allies had to bear the burden of reconstruction across Europe as well as deconstructing their military. In 1921, Adolf Hitler, a WW 1 vet, became leader of the precursor to the Nazi party. The Nazis believed that their Aryan race was superior to others. To them, an Aryan was anyone who was European and not Jewish. They also thought Germany was a more important country than its neighbors. In 1934 Hitler became Germany's head of state. He introduced anti-Semitic and anticapitalistic propaganda and laws that discriminated against Jewish people living in the areas he controlled. He saw Jews as a problem that needed to be removed. This is called “ethnic cleansing. ” (adapted from CBBC Newsround) (image taken from the Jewish Virtual Library) [ Back to Main Menu ]

“The Final Solution” v v “The Final Solution” – the Nazi plan to exterminate the Jewish people. The genocide of the Jews was the culmination of a decade of Nazi policy, instigated under the rule of Adolf Hitler. What does “genocide” mean? During World War II (after previously introducing a series of anti-Semitic laws), the Nazis established ghettos in occupied Poland. What does “anti-Semitic” mean? The Nazis began the systematic deportation of Jews from all over Europe to concentration and extermination camps, the most infamous being Auschwitz-Birkenau. (adapted from www. ushmm. org) [ Back to Main Menu ]

Matisyahu. Blending Traditional Jewish Themes with Reggae Music. Billboard’s Top Reggae Artist of 2006. [ Back to Main Menu ]

Matisyahu – “Jerusalem” [Chorus] Jerusalem, if I forget you, fire not gonna come from me tongue. Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand forget what it's supposed to do. [chorus] In the ancient days, we will return with no delay Picking up the bounty and the spoils on our way We've been traveling from state to state And them don't understand what they say 3, 000 years with no place to be And they want me to give up my milk and honey Don't you see, it's not about the land or the sea Not the country but the dwelling of his majesty [chorus] Caught up in these ways, and the worlds gone craze Don't you know it's just a phase Case of the Simon says If I forget the truth then my words won't penetrate Babylon burning in the place, can't see through the haze Chop down all of them dirty ways, That's the price that you pay for selling lies to the youth No way, not ok, oh no way, not ok, hey Ain’t no one gonna break my stride Ain’t no one gonna pull me down Oh no, I got to keep on moving Stay alive Rebuild the temple and the crown of glory Years gone by, about sixty Burn in the oven in this century And the gas tried to choke, but it couldn't choke [chorus] me I will not lie down, I will not fall asleep They come overseas, yes they're trying to be free Erase the demons out of our memory Change your name and your identity Afraid of the truth and our dark history Why is everybody always chasing we Cut off the roots of your family tree Don't you know that's not the way to be [ Back to Main Menu ]

Matisyahu – “Jerusalem” [discussion] [Chorus] Jerusalem, if I forget you, fire not gonna come from me tongue. Jerusalem, if I forget you, let my right hand forget what it's supposed to do. In the ancient days, we will return with no delay Picking up the bounty and the spoils on our way We've been traveling from state to state And them don't understand what they say 3, 000 years with no place to be And they want me to give up my milk and honey Don't you see, it's not about the land or the sea Not the country but the dwelling of his majesty [chorus] Rebuild the temple and the crown of glory Years gone by, about sixty Burn in the oven in this century And the gas tried to choke, but it couldn't choke me I will not lie down, I will not fall asleep They come overseas, yes they're trying to be free Erase the demons out of our memory Change your name and your identity Afraid of the truth and our dark history Why is everybody always chasing we Cut off the roots of your family tree Don't you know that's not the way to be [chorus] Caught up in these ways, and the worlds gone craze Don't you know it's just a phase Case of the Simon says If I forget the truth then my words won't penetrate Babylon burning in the place, can't see through the haze Chop down all of them dirty ways, That's the price that you pay for selling lies to the youth No way, not ok, oh no way, not ok, hey Ain’t no one gonna break my stride Ain’t no one gonna pull me down Oh no, I got to keep on moving Stay alive [chorus] This song has a lot to say about the effect that Holocaust history has had on Jewish heritage. Choose two excerpts from the song and explain how you think they relate to the Holocaust and its aftermath. [ Back to Main Menu ]

David Olère v v v Holocaust survivor and artist His sketches and paintings depict scenes from the crematoriums and concentration camps that remain imprinted in his memory He did not sketch for pleasure; he sketched as a testimony [ Back to Main Menu ]

David Olère: Art Menu v “Arrival of a Convoy” v “Their Last Steps” v “Unable to Work” (all images and photographs for this section taken from http: //fcit. coedu. usf. edu) To the right: “For a Crust of Bread. ” David Olère depicts himself writing and decorating letters for the SS in exchange for a crust of bread. Olère's talents as an artist and translator (he spoke Polish, Russian, Yiddish, French, English, and German) made him useful to the S. S. [ Back to Main Menu ]

“Arrival of a Convoy” What is happening in this picture? A new convoy arrives in the background as inmates struggle with a cart carrying away cadavers from a previous convoy. What stands out to you in the picture? What does it tell you about the convoys that transported Jews to concentration camps? How did you come to these conclusions? [ Back to Art Menu ] [ Back to Main Menu ]

“Their Last Steps” What is happening in this picture? Three Muselmänner support each other as they falter toward the gas chamber. Muselmann was the camp term for those whose physical and mental exhaustion made them candidates for “selection. ” What stands out to you in the picture? Why do you think Olère chose to depict these men with their arms interlocked? [ Back to Art Menu ] [ Back to Main Menu ]

“Unable to Work” What stands out to you in this picture? Of the one thousand Jews in the convoy that brought Olère to Auschwitz, 881 were immediately gassed. Only six of the 119 selected for work survived the War. In light of this information, what do you think the figures in this painting represent? Why? In the background of this picture, smoke rises from the crematorium to form the SS insignia. Why do you think Olère chose to add this detail? Who were the SS? [ Back to Art Menu ] [ Back to Main Menu ]

• What do these pictures tell you about life in the concentration camps? • What do they not tell you? What do they make you wonder about? [ Back to Main Menu ]