HOLOCAUST: A REPORTER’S PERSPECTIVE

•North Syracuse Junior High School•Ms. D’Avirro•ddavirro@nscsd.org•8th grade ELA

WHAT DOES THE WORD HOLOCAUST MEAN?

an act of mass destruction and loss of life

the mass murder of Jews under the German Nazi regime from 1941 until 1945

Nazi genocide of the Jews

Holocaust" is a word of Greek origin meaning "sacrifice by fire."

In Greek, holokauston, which means, "wholly burned."

THE HOLOCAUST WAS:

• Systematic and Systematic and state-sponsoredstate-sponsored• Planned and Planned and carried-out by the carried-out by the Nazi regime and Nazi regime and its collaboratorsits collaborators

In 1933, the Jewish In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe population of Europe stood at over nine stood at over nine million.million.

BY 1945, THE HOLOCAUST RESULTED IN THE PERSECUTION AND MURDER OF APPROXIMATELY

SIX MILLION JEWS.

THE NAZIS KILLED APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS OF ALL JEWS LIVING IN EUROPE.

• Gypsies• Disabled People• Slavic populations (Polish,

Russian, etc.)• Communists and Socialists• Anyone who did not support

Nazi beliefs• Homosexuals

• 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust.

• Six million of these were Jews.

WHO ELSE WERE TARGETS?

AN ESTIMATED 1.1 MILLION CHILDREN WERE MURDERED IN THE HOLOCAUST.

PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS

PPA steps1.Define the problem2.Gather the evidence3.Identify the Causes

Example Problem: On November 9, 1939, Nazi troops started an attack on Jewish citizens in both Austria and Germany.

PROBLEM:•You are a reporter trying to write the truth about the Holocaust.

GATHER EVIDENCE

• The Nuremberg Laws are announced (September 15, 1935) • Kristallnacht, “Night of Broken Glass” (November 9/10, 1938)• Porrajmos, “Gypsy Clean-up Week” (1938)• Arrival of Jews to The Krakow Ghetto (pick one day in 1940)• Babi Yar (September 29, 1941)• Jews ordered to wear yellow stars (September 1, 1941 • Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (July 28, 1942)• Chechen Deportation Day (February 23, 1944)• Jasenovac Concentration Camp Mass Breakout (April 22, 1945)• Arriving to one of the Concentration Camps between (pick one day

in 1933-1945)• Nuremburg Trials (pick one day to report on between 1945-1949)

Gather Evidence (Find 3 facts about this day in history): •Write about what you witness during one of these events, using research and supporting details in your article.

EXAMPLE FACTS FOR EVIDENCE

• (rephrased / summarized) Kristallnact, or “the Night of Broken Glass”- the Nazis shattered the windows of Jewish-owned stores (www.frank.mtsu.edu).

• (copied word for word)“Nazi storm troopers along with members of the SS and Hitler Youth beat and murdered Jews, broke into and wrecked German homes, and brutalized Jewish all over Germany, Austria and other Nazi controlled areas” (www.historyplace.com).

• (copied word for word)“Some two hundred synagogues were destroyed, along with almost a thousand Jewish businesses. About 7,500 Jewish shops were looted, and many Jews were beaten or killed” (Gale 2003).

IDENTIFY THE CAUSES

Find 2 CAUSES that led to this day in history.Examples:•(copied word for word)“Herschel Grynszpan, a 17 year old Jew living in Paris, shot and killed a member of the German Embassy staff there in retaliation for the poor treatment his father and his family suffered at the hands of the Nazis in Germany” (www.historyplace.com). •(rephrased / summarized) Later that evening, Joseph Goebbels, a Nazi propaganda minister, gave a speech, which incited the violence of Kristallnacht (Gale 2003).

EXAMPLE ARTICLE

Nazis Storm the Streets of Germany and AustriaNovember 10, 1939By D. D’Avirro 

(Catchy Opening) The streets of Germany and Austria for the past 24 hours have been a state of chaos. Thousands of young Jewish men have been captured and imprisoned, flames are shooting out of rooftops, and windows of synagogues and businesses have been smashed out. (Statement of Problem) Yesterday, November 9, 1939, Nazi troops started an attack on Jewish citizens in both Austria and Germany.

(EVIDENCE / 3 FACTS) This current state of turmoil has been called Kristallnact, or “the Night of Broken Glass” because the Nazis shattered the windows of so many Jewish-owned stores (www.frank.mtsu.edu). There was sheer panic in the streets as “Nazi storm troopers along with members of the SS and Hitler Youth beat and murdered Jews, broke into and wrecked German homes, and brutalized Jewish all over Germany, Austria and other Nazi controlled areas” (www.historyplace.com). Helpless civilians looked on as synagogues were vandalized and Jewish men were rounded up and taken away. “Some two hundred synagogues were destroyed, along with almost a thousand Jewish businesses. About 7,500 Jewish shops were looted, and many Jews were beaten or killed” (Gale 2003).

(Causes / 2 FACTS) This event comes after many years of discrimination against Jews, starting in 1933 when Hitler came to power. Ever since Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, Jews have had to face many new obstacles; last night, being the most aggressive attack from the Nazi group. The event that prompted this attack involves the death of a German diplomat shot in Paris, three days ago, on November 7. “Herschel Grynszpan, a 17 year old Jew living in Paris, shot and killed a member of the German Embassy staff there in retaliation for the poor treatment his father and his family suffered at the hands of the Nazis in Germany (www.historyplace.com). Later that evening, Joseph Goebbels, a Nazi propaganda minister, gave a speech, which incited the violence of Kristallnacht (Gale 2003). (Concluding Thought) How will other nations respond to the devastating events of the past two days? Only time can tell. For now, Jews must live in a state of chaos not knowing what is in store for them next.