Introduction

            When I repeatedly heard my friends rave about the course, Facing History and Ourselves, I knew I had to take it.  I wasn’t exactly sure what the course entailed, but I knew it focused on the holocaust through numerous documentaries and movies. I was intrigued to learn about this tragic yet crucial part of the world’s history. In addition, I was looking forward to learning through films because I am a visual learner. Looking back on this semester, I am so thankful I was able to take this course. I knew a fair amount about the Holocaust before this course, but I didn’t realize how much information I didn’t know until after the class. We watched material about other times when humans discriminated against other humans and the individuals involved before we delved into the Holocaust. Through this course I learned all about Hitler’s rein, the cause of the war, and the Holocaust.  I also learned about myself. I want to be the person who stands up against bullies and perpetrators, not a bystander. Learning about the terrible events of the Holocaust and the people who stood by and did nothing or even encouraged the extermination of the Jewish race. I am a strong believer that everyone is equal, regardless of race, religion, or other physical qualities. I am half-Jewish and knowing that if I was living just over 60 years ago in Europe, my family and I would have had little chance of surviving. I recently visited Dachau concentration camp and the combination of being there and learning about the Holocaust made my heart ache about those who were killed and families who were separated. This course really affected my life and my perspective on the world.

What Facing History and Ourselves Meant to Me

            Throughout the course of Facing History, I experienced feelings of sadness, regret, anger, and even confusion as I learned about the Holocaust. Even though I knew everything I was viewing was real, I could not, and still can’t, believe that one group of humans could discriminate and ultimately attempt to exterminate another group. The details of concentration camps, inspirational leaders who rebelled, and horrible leaders who murdered thousands, that I learned during this course changed the way I think about the Holocaust, the way I think about myself, and the impact I have on the world. Some examples of material that really influenced my views included but weren’t limited to, Uprising, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, the photos that were taken in on of the concentration camps, and The Grey Zone. These all formed my perspective of the time period and the struggles of victims during the time.

            Through many weeks of watching documentaries and movies I was able to see the time period through the eyes of Nazi officers, Jews in the Ghettos and concentration camps, and also Kapos. Uprising was a film that inspired me to stand up for what I believed in and fight for the right thing. The movie focused on a group of individuals and their fight against the Nazis invading the ghetto to send Jews to concentration camps. This group did everything in their power to gather firearms and gain trusted members behind the Nazis’ back, Even though they knew rebelling would most likely lead to their deaths, they fought back anyway. They didn’t completely overcome the Nazi party, however, they did make a stand for what was right and were temporarily successful. Very few people stood up to the Nazis because they were a powerful, violent group that imposed their ideas on the country. The fact that people would risk their lives to protect family and friends was inspiring. If only more people stood up to Hitler and other Nazi leaders, stopping the Holocaust may have been possible. By seeing the influence a few people had, I was able to learn how important speaking up is. The brave characters in Uprising along with real people who hid Jews or fought against the Nazis during the Holocaust inspire me. What they did takes courage and I strive to make a positive difference in the world around me just as they did. It is vital that we make sure history doesn’t repeat itself. Everyone should be treated fairly and Facing History has taught me that I need to do everything in my power to ensure that.

            Another movie that influenced my knowledge about the Holocaust was The Grey Zone. This movie took place in Auschwitz; a major death camp in which characters came together and once again sacrificed their lives to rebel against the Nazis. The result was one destroyed crematorium that was never rebuilt. Similar to Uprising, I was inspired by the characters’ bravery, but more than that the movie showed me what life was like in a concentration camp. Prisoners faced inhumane treatment and were killed as if they were animals. Many did anything in order to survive one more day, including burning the bodies of gas victims. Before the course started, I had visited the Dachau concentration camp where I saw a Nazi officer’s house, the living space of prisoners, and worst of all, the crematorium. While there, we had an opportunity to watch the footage of Allies liberating the camp. It was the same film that we watched in class and even though I had already seen it, it was still impossible to see the suffering faces of the prisoners. I can’t believe the torture that they had to endure fore months and months. Even though the film The Grey Zone took place at Auschwitz and not Dachau, it provided visual that made the Holocaust that much more real. I had viewed one oven that the Nazis put thousands of bodies into, but seeing the film of prisoners actually pushing bodies into one, made a surreal idea into a very real and very sad image. Through films like this, the Facing History course has shed light on exactly what happened. It makes me extremely sad and shameful that any human could murder and torture other humans. I probably wouldn’t have been able to watch the painful scenes that I saw during the course if I wasn’t in the class. I am thankful I was present to learn about these horrific so I can make sure nothing of the sort repeats in the future.

            The last film that really affected me during this course was The Boy in the Striped Pajamas because of the boys’ innocence. The young German boy, Bruno, wanted a friend so badly that he journeyed to a concentration camp and met a Jewish boy named Shmuel. He didn’t care what his religion was, he simply wanted to be friends. Although he was innocent and quite naïve, he had the right idea by not discriminating. He was fair and judgment free, unlike most other Germans who blamed innocent people simply because of their religion, sexual orientation, or home country. When Bruno and Shmuel were killed at the end, I was heartbroken because I knew hundreds of thousands of innocent children were killed in the same way. At the same time, I was glad Bruno was with Shmuel at the time he was gassed. I wish they didn’t have to die, but I think the General, Bruno’s father had to feel what the family of everyone he had murdered felt.

By watching these influential films in Facing History, I feel I am much more educated about the Holocaust and even have a different perspective about life. I have always believed everyone is equal and should be treated equally, however sometimes I have been a bystander. In the future I know I will standup against bullies and never be a bystander again. Although it is nothing compared to the bravery of those who stood up against the Nazis, I will make a difference in the world around me. This course meant a lot to me because I was able to learn about influential, both the villains and heroes, and reflect on my life. I know the person I want to be and I will strive to be that person.

The most influential days of the course were when we saw the real life photos and the documentary of the camps being liberated. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the pain and suffering of the people in the images. By the time the camps were liberated, the few who had survived were on the brink of death. They were so grateful to the Americans for coming in to save them. I didn't know it was possible for any human being with a heart to stand around and cause such suffering. The prisoners were so starved they could barely move. It also saddened me to see the photos of families who were holding tight to each other. It is likely that they were separated during the Holocaust, never to see each other again. These primary sources made me realize how much I cherish my family and my freedom. What the Nazis did is so inhumane and horrific. I will do everything in my power throughout my life to ensure that no other group or single bully can harm others. Hopefully this will prevent anything similar from happening. Overall, this history course has made me realize how important it is to stand up for what is right, just like many heroes in movies and documentaries did. 

I included a few photos that go along with what Facing History meant to me. I took many photos at Dachau, four of which are included. One is a photo of the door, which has a message of “arbeit macht frei”, or “work sets you free”, which demonstrates the deception of Germans during the Holocaust. Another is a picture of the word brausebad, which is the German word for shower. This is where prisoners were gassed. The next photo is of the ovens where dead bodies were cremated. These scenes were very hard to look at and think about the millions of innocent killed. Another photo is one of a sculpture that was placed in the camp after it became a museum. At first, it looks just like an abstract sculpture, but it represents the bodies of those who were murdered. In on of the films, a pile of bodies was shown that reminded me of this touching sculptures. The other two photos are of the innocent boys from The Boy in the Striped Pajama and of Adolf Hitler, the leader and the man who was mainly responsible for this final solution and the murder of millions of innocent people.

Works Cited

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Google images. Image. 6 Jan 2014.

Adolf Hitler. Google images. Image. 6 January 2014.