The article, “Teens Against Hitler”, by Lauren Tarshis, describes the challenges of Ben Kamm a Jewish boy, his family, and a vast amount of Jews, being vandalized by Hitler and his Nazi group during the 1930’s. Ben Kamm was in a dreadful area, were the Nazis were told from their master Hitler to execute all the Jews. Ben and his family were fine till 1939 the German troops invaded Poland. The police persecuted Warsaw's Jews. Ben and many others crammed into a small ghetto. His family moved into a small room. Nobody was allowed to leave. Although Ben and his family went through harsh challenges, he showed an incredible amount of courage in trying to end the war between the Jews and the Nazis. A little after WW1 in 1918 the Jews got news …show more content…
that they were in trouble. Hitler their new ruler was up to something. He wanted to kill the Jews. For example, “The German people were humiliated, tired, and bitter. Hitler and his Nazi party rose to power by tapping into these feelings. Hitler declared the Germans were superior to everyone else.” (6) This was the start of the war of the Nazis and the Jews. The Jews had to face many challenges while living in a very hateful life, for example, in the text it states, “Jews were not allowed to set foot in public parks or libraries, or go out after 5 p.m.
Anyone who violated these laws could be shot on the spot.” (7) The Nazis were so harsh on them because Hitler thought they were subhuman and interfere with their race, so they wanted to get rid of them by working them to death. This was hard for the Jews they had to hide and be afraid, because the Nazis would kill them. The text also states that, “Everyone was only permitted to bring more than a few belongings.” (8) This was a major challenge for the Jews because if they ran away to escape if someone saw them dragging more than 3 items they could possibly get killed. This was not fair to the jews because leaving all their valuables behind this can cause them to possibly only wear the same clothes all the time and not carry enough fresh water. This can be very hard to live with only a few items. Lastly the text also states, “Nazi troops and their collaborators shot them, starved them, worked them to death, and systematically murdered them in the gas chambers and death camps.”(7) These jews took this as a big challenge and being gated from going places. This caused them not to get food easily not let their children get an education just hide in the shadows in Warsaw everything was …show more content…
scarce. Through the challenges the Jews faced they also went through a tremendous amount of courage for example the text says “Tens and thousands of people even jews, were fighting back against the Nazis.
They were called partisans, like characters out of Robin Hood.” (8) This shows that the Jews and even nazis had courage to fight back against Hitler's crew even though they can be killed, and they knew they had to do something besides sit there in the shadows. Also the text also states “Ben (main character, who survived) and others volunteered for dangerous missions blowing up cargo trains carrying supplies to German troops.”(8) Ben wanted to help the Germans to fight against Hitler and his Nazi group to free them from getting hurt. Also he wanted to end this war and live a fighting free life. Same with many other Jews, even Nazis. Lastly, all Jews that helped fight back against Hitler really built up the courage to know they could get killed. In the text it states, “Their group eventually grew to 1,600 fighters operating from a large compound in the forest . The compound became like a town, with cobblers who repaired shoes and musicians who provided moments of joyful escape.”This shows the group was very powerful and mighty to save the families in the shadows to same the jews for innocent death. The Jews and many other that are not Jews did help out no matter what the
cost. In 1945 the war has finally ended with the Germans surrender of the war. “The Nazis had liquidated the Warsaw ghetto.”(10) By the end of the war Hitler and his Nazis killed over 6 million Jews, most were killed in gas chambers. Hitler committed suicide. Moreover, a lot of Nazis were executed for their crimes. Ben Kam survived by two daughters and multiple grandchildren. He sadly passed away in 2010. He stated “I was lucky i'm alive and can tell the story.”(10)
Nazism and Fascism are prominent in daily life as shown in both movies Swing Kids and Berlin 36 by the uses of distinct characteristics such as the use of force, propaganda and sabotage. Fascism is defined as having a governmental system led by a dictator with complete power. Nazism on the other hand is defined as an ideology featuring racism and expansionism and obedience to a strong leader. These two ideologies are alike with Nazism falling under a sub-category of Fascism. However, it is prominent that Swing Kids was showing the effects of Nazism in daily life with scenes showing excessive use of force and propaganda.
The Silber Medal winning biography, “Surviving Hitler," written by Andrea Warren paints picture of life for teenagers during the Holocaust, mainly by telling the story of Jack Mandelbaum. Avoiding the use of historical analysis, Warren, along with Mandelbaum’s experiences, explains how Jack, along with a few other Jewish and non-Jewish people survived.
After listening to a testimony from Ralph Fischer, a Holocaust survivor I have gained a new level of understanding to what happened in those few years of terror when the Nazi party was at power. On top of that I have learned that they are just like other people in many different ways. As a child, Ralph went to school, played with friends, and spent time with his family. All that is comparable to any other modern-day child. However, as the Nazi party rose to power he was often bullied, left out, or even beat for being Jew. Although not as extreme, I have often been mistreated because I was different, and it’s easy to understand the pain of being left out just because you are not the same. Eventually he had to drop out of school and then had
Righteous Acts Throughout humanity, human beings have been faced with ethnic hardships, conflict, and exclusion because of the battle for authority. Hence, in human nature, greed, and overall power consumes the minds of some people. Groups throughout the world yearn for the ability to be the mightiest. These types of conflicts include ethnic shaming, racial exclusion, physical and verbal abuse, enslavement, imprisonment, and even death. Some of these conflicts were faced in all parts of Europe and the Pacific Region during World War II.
We should remember Ben Kamm’s story because it's an inspiration to fight for what is right. He also teaches perseverance, determination, braveness and resilience on the way. Ben Kamm realized he needed to do something other than wait and starve so he joined the partisans. By doing this, he was fighting in freedom and equality. In the text it states, “ But Ben would soon learn that he could do something after all if he dared. Tens of thousands of people, including thousands of Jews, were fighting against the Nazis. They were called partisans.” This quote reveals, we should fight for what is right. This also shows me must be brave and fight. While being a partisan, Ben had undying perseverance, determination, braveness and resilience on the
In the book Night by Elie Wiesel, it talks about the holocaust and what it was like being in it. The Germans were trying to make the German race the supreme race. To do this they were going to kill off everyone that wasn’t a German. If you were Jewish or something other than German, you would have been sent to a concentration camp and segregated by men and women. If you weren’t strong enough you were sent to the crematory to be cremated. If you were strong enough you were sent to work at a labor camp. With all the warnings the Jewish people had numerous chances to run from the Germans, but most ignored the warnings.
A Lucky Child by Thomas Buergenthal is a memoir about his time as a Jewish child in multiple ghettos and death camps in and around Germany during World War II. The author shares about his reunions with family and acquaintances from the war in the years between then and now. Buergenthal wished to share his Holocaust story for a number of reasons: to prevent himself from just being another number, to contribute to history, to show the power and necessity of forgiveness, the will to not give up, and to question how people change in war allowing them to do unspeakable things. The memoir is not a cry for private attention, but a call to break the cycle of hatred and violence to end mass crimes.
One of the many themes that has arose is the theme of injustice. The theme of injustice stood out just by reading the back of the book. As stated before, this book takes place in the time of Hitler’s reign in Nazi Germany. If anyone had previous knowledge as to what Adolf Hitler’s “final solution” entitled, social injustice would evidently be pointed out. These prejudices could be something such as concentration camps, torture, discrimination of the Jewish race and the destruction of homes and shops. Although many Germans had no idea what was happening in Germany during Hitler’s reign, one would be quick to judge Germans as a whole. This is the perspective that is dominant in the novel, they never mention massacre or concentration camps, and they just lived their normal lives. After the author educates the reader about a Jewish man named Max Vandenburg, the narrator says: “You could argue that Liesel Meminger had it easy. She did have it easy compared to Max Vandenburg. Certainly, her brother practically died in her arms. Her mother abandoned her. But anything was better than being a Jew” (Zusak 161). This quote by itself shows how terribly the Jewish people were treated. In their daily lives, they are faced with destruction, social injustice, and discrimination. They are treated very disrespectfully; they live with racial slurs, house raids, as well as having the Star of David painted on
The life of a child in the 1930-1940 was not an easy life not if you were a Nazi, not if you were Jewish. These Children lost their childhood because of a war. Their shattered childhood creates stories that seem horrific to us today. Life as a child growing up in a Nazi family is probably easier than dealing with the problems that the Jewish children have. However, every Nazi child had to sign up for the Hitler Youth. The Hitler Youth was an organization to discipline young minds and preach to them about anti semitism. Hitler Youth was one of the largest youth groups in Europe at the time if parents did not have their children in it they would face fines or have charges of imprisonment. The Nazi regime brainwashed the kids, they made them aggressive and intolerable. In the group there was even a small ‘Gestapo’ that would make sure all the children were doing the correct task if not the ‘Gestapo’ would report this. This shows how much power the children were given. During the 1940s more boys were recruited to join the army or guard concentration camps and ghettos. When the allied forces surrounded Germany the Nazi’s decided everyone of he age of fifteen and above would have to fight the war. They would be given rigorous training,
What can become the most powerful thing if manipulated and brainwashed at a young age? Well Hitler knew the answer and knew the importance of them for his 1,000 year plan. The youth was a significant part of Hitler's reign, as once the kids have been brainwashed by all the propaganda, they will follow and obey all of his commands without hesitation.
Regine Donner, a famous Holocaust survivor, once said, “I had to keep my Jewishness hidden, secret, and never to be revealed on the penalty of death. I missed out on my childhood and the best of my adolescent years. I was robbed of my name, my religion, and my Zionist idealism” (“Hidden Children”). Jewish children went through a lot throughout the Holocaust- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Life was frightening and difficult for children who were in hiding during the rule of Adolf Hitler.
The Nazis were killing thousands of Jews on a daily basis and for many of the Jewish people death seemed inevitable, but for some of the Jewish population they were not going to go down without a fight as Jewish resistance began to occur. However, the Jewish resistance came in many different forms such as staying alive, clean and observing Jewish religious traditions under the absolute horrendous conditions imposed by the Nazis were just some examples of resistance used by the Jews. Other forms of resistance involved escape attempts from the ghettos and camps. Many of the Jews who did succeed in escaping the ghettos lived in the forests and mountains in family camps and in fighting partisan units. Once free, though, the Jews had to contend with local resident and partisan groups who often openly hostile. Jews also staged armed revolts in the ghettos of Vilna, Bia...
People have been idolizing leaders forever. These idolized leaders may be good or they may be bad. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in April 1889. In August 1914, despite being an Austrian citizen, he joined the German Army to fight in World War I. After the war his German patriotism grew since he was bitter over Germany losing. In 1932 Hitler ran for German president but, was elected as chancellor. A year after being appointed as chancellor, he became the head of state as well. Hitler was the leader of Germany from 1933-1945. Although, he was a harsh leader Hitler was idolized. He provided hope and sense of security for the German people. The people believed that Hitler would help them and fix their country. Hitler had been an idolized leader
“While imprisoned, Hitler wrote, “My Struggle,” where he foretold the war that would lead to the death of many Jews.” (The Holocaust) The Jews were used as scapegoats by the Germans. They were treated terribly and lived in very poor conditions. Many of the Jewish children were put into homes, therefore having better chances of hiding.
In the text from “The Boy Who Fought Hitler”, it says, “Ben volunteered for dangerous missions blowing up trains that carried supplies to German troops.” He was doing this to help fight back to the Germans and help everyone that was under the hold of the Germans, including his family. He was very passionate towards his group of partisans and they helped him become brave. In addition to this, the text states, “Like many young people, Ben soon learned tricks for sneaking out of the ghetto to find food for his family.” He was risking his life to help his family stay healthy and strong. This helped him become stronger and braver because he knew his family’s life was on the