Jewish Children during the Holocaust

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"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children" (Nelson Mandela). If this statement is considered true, then it's fair to say that during times of the Holocaust, the German society was at an all time low. Children during the Holocaust did not have a carefree childhood, like they should have, but instead were placed under strenuous conditions. They had to go through being separated from all family and friends, being chosen the first to go to, and in most cases a permanent loss of family members. The Holocaust was undoubtedly a horrific experience for everyone involved but for children it must have been traumatizing.
It is in a child's nature to be dependant of its parents and family members. They rely on them to protect and take care of them, so when they are suddenly ripped out of that comfort and protection, imagine the impact it would have on them. During the Holocaust, there was nothing the parents could do to protect their children; it was inevitable if they were Jewish they were always at risk. But on top of their vulnerability, children were frequently separated from their family and loved ones. Whether it be going into a concentration camp or going into hiding, the Holocaust has many examples of families being torn apart. One example would be with twins. Twins we often used for scientific experimentation, and when they were brought into concentration camps they were immediately identified and separated. The children that were used for these experiments very rarely survived them, and if they did they never saw their twin again. In just a short amount of time they were ripped away from their families and comfort and thrown into this chaos and unbearable setting (Nancy Sega...

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...s very immoral at the time and took something from them they can never get back. On top of their robbed childhood they were forced to deal with the emotional trauma, which was something they could never get away from. What they went through as children will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

Works Cited

Berman, Elie. "Jewish Victims of the Holocaust: Hidden Children." Hidden Children of the Holocaust. 2014. American - Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. 02 March 2014.
Bulow, Louis. "Children of the Holocaust." Children of the Holocaust. iLivid, 2010.
"Children During the Holocaust." United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 10 June 2013, United States Holocaust Memorial Council.
Montana News. KRTV. 3KRTV, Montana. 10 May 2013.
Segal, Nancy L. "Twin Children of the Holocaust." The Creativity Post. 25 March 2013.

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