Day 19: Holo-What?

    A holocaust can be defined as either the, "destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, especially caused by fire or nuclear war," or the "Jewish sacrificial offering that is burned completely on an altar," but more importantly refers to one of the darker times of human history. From around 1931 - 1945, thousands of individuals fought and died for Adolf Hitler's vision of a perfect world. Hitler's crusade was for a world free from, "gypsies, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, blacks, the physically and mentally disabled, political opponents of the Nazis, including Communists and Social Democrats, dissenting clergy, resistance fighters, prisoners of war, Slavic peoples, and many individuals from the artistic communities whose opinions and works Hitler condemned," and most importantly Jews, who he blamed for the loss of the first World War. 

   While this time period led to the deaths of millions of individuals ( 6-million Jews and roughly 5-million non-jews), today's youth only have a cursory knowledge of this time period, if any at all and until recently I in many ways was the same. Below you will find a list of books that tell the story of the Holocaust that are must-reads for both adults and reluctant readers. Included here is also a link to the National Holocaust Museum's website, where you can find additional information, lesson plans/activities and other helpful resources.  Remember history is studied so it doesn't repeat. While it may feel like this period of time is better left forgotten, ignorance is not the key to a better future. 

      "She was a young German Jew. He was an ardent member of the Hitler Youth. This is the story of their pareallel journey through World War II. Helen Waterford and Alfons Heck were born just a few miles from each other in the German Rhineland. But their lives took radically different courses: Helen's to the Auschwitz extermination camp; Alfons to a high rank in the Hitler Youth."

      "The Burden of Hitler's Legacy is Alfons Heck's incredible story of serving the Nazi regime, and the bitter disillusionment he suffered as the Germany he loved was battered into oblivion. Only in the waning days of World War II, did he begin to learn of the terror and cruelty that would come to characterize the Nazi reign. And only after years of soul-searching would he begin to accept the role that he had played. This complelling story complements and expands on Heck's autobiography, A Child of Hitler, in which he describes his childhood and life as a member and high-ranking leder of the Hitler Youth. The final chapters of the book introduce us to Heck's relationship with Helen Waterford, author of Commitment to the Dead and a survivor of the Aushwitz death camp. These two met in 1980 and formed a truly unique partnership. Heck and Waterford gave presentations side-by-side to audiences at more than 300 colleges and universities. The final chapter repeats many of the questions audiences would ask and Heck's answers. His openness provides much insight into the how's and why's of the Holocaust."

      "In this starkly candid account of one boy's indoctrination into the Hitler Youth, we see a side of Nazism that has been little recorded. This autobiographical account is a rare glimpse at World War II from a German boy's viewpoint."

     "The author was born into a life no one would wish for: a Jew in Germany with Adolf Hitler rising to power. This autobiography describes life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The author shares her personal journey, leading us towards understanding."

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