The Holocaust: Choices

The Holocaust: Choices

During World War II, over six million Jews, Roma, gypsies, homosexuals and disabled people who lived in Europe were killed, simply because they were Jewish. Most of them could not see the danger which lay ahead and stayed where they were. Today, when we look back at history, we might say, “why did they not leave Germany when they had the chance?” or “how could they have let it happen?” But at the time, they had no idea that people could be so evil. Even today, there are still people who hate others because of their race. This can lead to violence and even warfare. Only a few years ago, people were killing each other in Bosnia, Albania, Georgia, and the Sudan because they were a difference race.

Concentration Camps in Europe

Jewish Population

Killed During World War II

The Holocaust: Choices

Our task today will be to learn about how hard it was to make decisions as a Jewish family or person living in Europe at the outset of the Second World War.

In this task, you are a Jew living in Germany. Start at the first slide, which follows the introduction and explanation of our assignment. Then, depending on what choice you make, click the button and you will be taken to the next step and decision. Continue like this until the very end.

The Holocaust: Choices

In this story, you experience the problems which Jews experienced just before and during the Second World War. Often times what will happen is not fair. But this is because Jews were not treated fairly. Also, sometimes you can only survive by doing something bad. To survive the concentration camps and death camps, people had to look after themselves first before worrying about others.

The Holocaust: Choices

Our Assignment:

As you make each decision, use the activity sheet to record what decision you made and why you made that decision. At the end of the game, you will take your activity sheet and write a short assignment on your experiences during the activity, writing about what you did, the decisions you made, and (most importantly) why you made those decisions.

Once you are ready, click to the next slide and begin your game. Good luck.

You are a Jew living in Berlin, the capital of Germany. You have a comfortable job, although there is a lot of unemployment in Germany. A new political party is getting popular – the National Socialists, or Nazis. Their leader, Adolph Hitler is a very powerful speaker and many Germans love him. But you do not. When the elections are held, you can decide to vote for either the Communists or a more conservative party. Who will you vote for?

National Socialists?

Conservatives?

You can continue working in the shop you work in. The only difference is that all your customers are now Jewish. But you know that will not last long. Many of the Berlin Jews are leaving. You decide to leave with them and go to Poland or become more involved with the Jews in Berlin?

Move to Poland?

Stay in Berlin?

You are involved in raids against German barracks as they come close to France and take over the east of the country. You manage to kill a few soldiers but on one raid you are not so fortunate. They are lying in ambush and you and the others are all mown down my machine gun fire. You and your soldiers are killed.

The End.

Your boss is glad that you are not going to protest. He wants you to persuade his son not to go. You can decide to help your boss or leave well enough alone.

Persuade your boss’ son not to protest?

You cannot be bothered?

You feel too tired to get up. Your whole body aches. To continue working would only kill you. So you sit there, waiting for a guard to come, so you can tell them that you are too ill to work. A guard marches up to you and before you can say a word, he hits your painfully on the next.

The guard has hit you...

Kristallnacht – the Night of the Broken Glass as the Germans call it. Your shop is smashed and looted. It looks like you are going to have to find money some other way. But under the law, you are not allowed to have a job. Do you want to leave and go to Holland or stay in Berlin and hope that something will turn up?

Go to Holland?

Go to Berlin?

You slowly get to your feet, very unsteadily and then notice your surroundings. What you see is shocking: a camp with a tall chimney at the center. Bright orange flames leap from the top of the chimney. A massive black cloud of smoke drifts up into the sky and over the area, blocking out the sun. You are shouted at to join the line and follow the others into the camp. Every is running towards a man and then running off tot he left or right of him. You get there are told to go left. You stumble off that way.

Keep moving to your left...

You eventually get a boat to New York City and soon find work and other Jewish friends. The Nazis in Germany invade Poland, and Britain and France go to war. Soon there is another World War which goes on for six years. Afterwards, you see and hear terrible stories about what happened to other Jews in Europe. You are sure that most of your friends in Berlin are dead and you are thankful that you decide to leave when you did.

Congratulations; enjoy your new life in New York.

Soon the war ends, but Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, does not allow anyone to leave his country. You stay there but suffer under the harsh Communist regime. At least you are alive.

Try to make the best of your live in Soviet Germany.

While walking in the street you are attacked by a group of German men because you have not joined the army, even though they know that the law does not allow Jews in the army. While laying there bleeding, the police come and arrest you for causing a disturbance.

You have been arrested...

You sit back down when a commandant comes in and talks with another officer. It seems that Russian troops are approaching. You could soon be liberated. But all of the Jews are gathered and marched out of the camp, heading west, away from the Russians. You walk constantly for hours and many are shot for stopping. You eventually reach a town and are put to work in a factory.

Start to work in the factory...

You run quickly along the narrow alleyway and head towards the opening up ahead. You burst out into a street, which is thankfully empty. Carefully you make your way home. You later learn that many people died or were taken to a concentration camp. You are thankful that you have survived.

You live another day to continue on...

Your bunkmate gets the food and carefully breaks it up and slips it into your mouth. After half and hour you feel a bit stronger. Your bunkmate gets some water and lets you drink. With the help of this kind man you gain strength throughout the day. You are soon fit enough to return to work.

You get back up and go to work...

You are awaken suddenly in the night and all you see is a bright light; all you hear are shots being fired. Half asleep it takes you a little while to realize that there is a sharp pain in your stomach. The light fades and you can see the face of a laughing German soldier. It is the last thing you see as you die.

The End.

You hear a whistling and sure enough, a bomb falls onto the factory. Luckily it fell about a hundred meters away but there is a lot of flying class and metal. A piece of metal flies into your thigh and you fall, blooding pouring out of your leg. You patch up the wound as best you can and are grabbed and hustled off along the road with some other wounded prisoners.

Continue along down the road...

The guard grabs you and drags you away, until you are able to get back onto your feet. You are pulled along and thrown towards a line of people who have just arrived from another train. They help you to walk with them as your legs are very weak.

Continue walking with this new group...

You force yourself to keep going. After a short period of feeling ill, the sickness passes and you recover enough strength to stay alive for a few more years. The years pass like a century and you are too exhausted to listen to rumours of Germany’s defeat. And then one day, a huge number of soldiers arrive and you expect the end. But you notice that these soldiers are different. They speak a language that you recognize – English. You are too tired to say anything but in your heart, you are thankful that you have been saved. You are transported to England where you recover and start a new life.

Congratulations and enjoy your new life in Newcastle.

The German soldiers are clearing everyone out of to move to a work camp. You all get the feeling that this is similar to a concentration camp. Things are looking bad. Because there are many Jews in the ghetto, some of the people are going to start fighting, believing that they can take on the soldiers. They ask you to join in the fight.

Will you fight?

Will you go with the soldiers and hope for the best?

It turns out that the officer wants someone who can speak English and French as well as German, which you can. You work in the office. You still stay in the hut but you have more food, are treated better, and work does not strain you. You are in a good position to help others less fortunate. Will you smuggle food out to help your bunkmate?

Smuggle the food?

Do not risk getting caught?

He take the food and disappears. You lie all day and time seems to drag on. But before the day finishes you fall prey to the last attack of typhoid.

The End.

You spend all of your spare time helping to print leaflets and asking others to join the Communist party. Then one day a terrible law is passed – the Nuremberg Law. It says that Jews will no longer be citizens of Germany. You have no rights. You are some others will march in the streets to protest this.

You decide to protest...

The boss is unhappy that you did not talk to his son. That day, his son is killed, along with the other lucky ones – the unlucky ones get sent to the Dachau concentration camp. Your boss, in his grief, decides to fire you. Now without a job, you seem to only have one choice – leave Berlin.

You take the first train leaving Berlin...

You dive under a machine, just in time. A bomb falls onto the factory, about a hundred metres away. Glass and burning metal fly all around the factory. Luckily you are safe from any danger. When you come out, you are grabbed and forced to continue walking with the other fit prisoners.

You are forced to keep working...

After a few days, the train arrives and you disembark, glad to get out into the fresh air. What you see is shocking: a camp with a tall chimney at the center. Bright orange flames leap from the top of the chimney. A massive black cloud of smoke drifts up into the sky and over the area, blocking out the sun. You are shouted at to join the line and follow the others into the camp. Every is running towards a man and then running off to the left or right of him. You get there are told to go right. You stumble off that way.

Keep moving to your right...

You join many other Jews and all head towards Poland. You are huddled on the border, in a refugee camp supplied by the Polish government until they decide to do anything about you.

Then the worst happens...

Germany invades Holland. All of the Jews are rounded up. You are put into cattle trains and soon begin a longer journey all cramped together with the other Jews.

You are unsure of where this train is taking you...

As you look at it, a commandant comes in. You quickly crumple the paper, dropping it in the bin, hoping that he has not noticed. You carry on with your work and notice that the commandant is talking to someone in the other room. You catch a few words... Russian troops... closer... When they come out, they tell you to follow them. You, and the other office workers, are taken out of the camp. You have no idea what is happening but when you are taken deep into the woods you have a sense of fear. You are all bunched together. You hear a click, and notice a soldier with his machine gun pointed at you. It is all over in a second.

The End.

The boy refuses. Will you threaten to hit him or continue to stand there?

Hit the boy?

Stand there?

Nothing happens. Then there is an order that no more Jews are allowed to leave Germany. You are forced to register with the police, like an illegal immigrant. Then the war starts. Germany invades Poland and Britain declares war on Germany. Soon, the whole world is involved and the unthinkable happens – another World War. You think it might be better to go into hiding rather than risking leaving the country.

Do you go into hiding?

Do you risk leaving the country?

You lie in bed, waiting for treatment, but none comes. Your leg becomes numb and you cannot move. No doctors or nurses have come in for hours and you are getting worried. Then, the door is thrown open and a soldier appears with his gun pointed towards you. You are terrified but then realize that it is a British soldier. You sigh with relief and pass out. You awake in Britain, in a hospital. Your leg has been amputated but at least you are alive.

Congratulations as you start your new life in London.

When you get to the death camp you join a group of others and plan a break out. It is a success and you all quickly rush to find shelter. You hide in a barn. One of the you accidentally knocks over some bottles and the farmer comes to the barn. He finds you all easily and you surrender. He tells you not to worry and moves you to a cellar. He gives you some food and tells you to stay put. None of you can believe your luck. With some warm blacks you settle down to a long sleep.

You fall asleep in the barn...

He storms off unhappy. You see people come and pick you up and carry you off towards the chimney store. You feel yourself being thrown onto the cold metal floor. You lie, exhausted after being carried around. You fail to notice the canister deposited in the chamber, or all of the other people in the chamber with you. All you feel is being unable to breathe.

The End.

You feel that it is better to carry on as you are. Months pass, until one day, a terrible law is passed – the Nuremberg Law. From now on, no Jew is a normal citizens of Germany.

Some of your friends are going to protest in the streets. They ask you to join them.

Will you join in the protest?

Will you turn them down?

Just when you were glad to leave Germany behind you, Hitler invades Poland. All of the Jews are grouped together until the soldiers decide what to do with you.

The Nazis have rounded up all of the Polish Jews...

All of you are herded into cattle trucks, cramped together as the train departs.

You are unsure of where this train leads...

There is a rumour which starts going around while you are working: apparently, it seems that Russian troops are approaching. You could soon be liberated. But all of the Jews are gathered and marching out of the camp, heading west, away from the Russians. You walk constantly for hours and many of you are shot for stopping. You eventually reach a town and are put to work in a factory.

You begin work at this new factory...

The next day you are all herded into a dark truck. After hours of driving, the truck stops. The doors are opened and you are led into the darkness of the night. You are inside a camp – a concentration camp. The truth hits you. People often die within the camps. Your future does not look good.

You get off the truck and enter the camp...

You get up and get working. Later that night you fall into your bunk, exhausted. The next morning your bunkmate is slapping you in the face to wake you, but you can hardly move. He whispers in your ear to tell him where you keep your secret food supply. You cannot open your mouth but you can point your finger.

Do you show him where your food is?

Do you keep it a secret?

You eventually and miraculously get to France. You are invited to join the Resistance, a secret army devoted to fighting Germany and you agree to do so.

You begin your life as a Resistance fighter...

The boy is scared and gets up to let you sit. You are exhausted and soon fall asleep.

You sleep on the train, not knowing where it goes...

Your legs are tired after a few hours. You notice another boy sitting comfortably and want to sit down too. There is only room for one of you. What will you do?

Tell the boy to get up?

Allow the boy to continue sitting?

As you guessed, the Social Democrats do not win. The Nazi party wins by many votes. You think about leaving for the United States.

Do you stay in Berlin?

Do you leave for the United States?

You arrive at another camp. You continue working but with your wound it is tough going. The wound becomes sceptic and pain courses through your whole body. You are admitted to the medical wing.

You begin your stay at the hospital...

You run quickly along the narrow alleyway and head towards the opening ahead. You burst into a street only to discover that it is packed with soldiers. You try to run off but they catch you easily. One soldier smacks you on the head with his rifle butt, knocking you to the ground, unconscious. When you awake, you realize that you are in a dark cell with other prisoners. You still feel dizzy and drift to sleep again.

You drift off to sleep surrounded by strangers...

You eventually reach another factory. Days pass, in which you are all worked harder. Time seems to drag on, until one day there is a lot of fuss. Many of the guards disappear and the rumour goes around that the Russians are approaching. You begin to feel hopeful. Then, the next day, the troops arrive and liberate you. You are all allowed to rest and slump into your bunks in your work huts. You are all too exhausted to move and wait for medical help. But none comes. You are all left to starve to death.

The End.

Your bunkmate leaves you along. The hut leader comes up to you. He also whispers in your ear, asking for your secret food store.

Do you point and show him?

Do you still keep it a secret?

You talk the lad into staying at home. It was just as well – the protestors are either killed or sent to Dachau concentration camp.

It was a nice idea to talk to the son...

You are very unpopular with the other prisoners, but they are understand why you look after yourself – in the camp, you must look after number one. One day you see some secret records jutting out of the bin. Usually they are all destroyed. There is nobody in the office, and you are tempted to look at it.

Do you look at it?

Do you leave it in the bin?

Your body is glad to relax and it seems like you are finally resting after four years. You drift into a deep sleep from which your body does not have to strength to recover from. Your body has given up and you pass away.

The End.

You escape, miraculously, and after weeks to dodging the running, get to Russia.

You look to start your new life in Russia...

When you are not working in the shop you help teaching the Jewish school children, because they are banned from schools. You feel a happy sense of community in the midst of all problems, because all of the Jews are working together. But then all of this changes and something happens to scare all of you.

You are not sure what is going to happen...

The soldiers are not expecting a struggle. Using the element of surprise, you manage to disarm a couple of soldiers, which allows you to get some weapons. But after a bit of gunfire, the soldiers realize what is happening. There are too many of them and they come in on all sides. You fight bravely but it is a lost battle. A grenade is thrown in the midst of your group. You watch it land and before you can shout a warning, it explodes.

The End.

You spend years at the Dachau camp. Germany invade Poland and so Britain declares war on Germany. Then it becomes a World War. More Jews and Communists are thrown into the camp. After four years there, you become desperately ill. You are admitted to a hospital bed and so can relax a little. A doctor advises you to get up and back to work. But you feel like you are dying.

Do you get up?

Do you stay in the hospital and hope to get better?

While working one day, there is the sound of planes approaching. You are told to keep working but think that you are about to be bombed. Do you want to take cover, but risk getting shot by the guard?

Do you take cover?

Do you stay put and not risk getting shot?

There are quite a lot of people out marching on the day. It is all quite peaceful and normal, until there is some fighting up ahead. Then machine guns start firing and people scream and run off in different directions. You run towards two alleyways. Which one will you take?

Do you take the one on the left?

Do you take the one on the right?

You are caught helping someone in your hut when you give them some food. You are immediately marched out into the camp grounds and towards the gallows. There, you are quickly hung by the neck. Death is slow, but certain.

The End.

You spend days on your feet, until you can almost feel they have become solid. When you arrive you try to walk out, but are only able to fall out. As you hit the ground, you hit your head. You feel dizzy. A guard is shouting at you to stand.

Will you stand up?

Will you pretend to have fainted?

You get to Holland and eventually get a small job and start a new life. Germany invades Poland and Britain goes to war against Germany. Eventually it becomes a World War. You are glad to have left when you did. But maybe you will be safer in France.

Do you go to France?

Do you stay in Holland?

You notice that you are heading closer to the chimney and begin to get scared. The line moves down into a dark, underground chamber. You are all stripped naked and pushed into a large empty cell. The doors are closed and the lights turned off. There is total silence. You feel your heart beating heavily. There is the sound of a hatch being opened then shut quickly. Then you hear a canister hit the metal floor and a hissing noise. The next thing you know you cannot breathe. You fall, clutching your throat. It is your last breath.

The End.

As you lie there, the guard becomes furious and then suddenly quiet. You sigh with relief and expect to be taken away as you feel someone kneel beside you. But then you feel the touch of cold metal against your neck and then a click. It is the last thing you ever hear.

The End.

You are sent to a concentration camp. Most people never survive these places. But then there is word that you are being moved. You are happy until people tell you that you are being moved to a death camp. You decided that it is time to think of something desperate. Your chances of survival are getting slimmer.

You are starting to get desperate...

You run here and there, being pointed in one direction, shouted to go in another direction, and eventually rest in a hut. You are to start working tomorrow. For months you work hard, for the alternative is death. One morning, your hut leader asks you to volunteer to go to the camp commandant’s office. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. There are stories of people being sent to be used as target practice. But you could be used for less tiring office work.

Do you want to work in the office?

If not, you continue to work at the camp. One day you sit down for a rest. You friend tells you to get up.

Do you get up?

Do you stay sitting down?

You vote for the Communist Party. However, the Nazis gain power by a huge majority. The group wants you to become involved but you are not sure what you want to do.

Do you join the Nazi party?

Do you want to continue on as you are?

All of the Jews are shifted to the capital city of Poland – Warsaw. There is already a large ghetto there and the Polish Jews are very spiteful towards you. You manage to find a place to stay and manage to get with some other German Jews who will support each other. Life is bad but you manage to survive for a few months. But one day, there is a terrible commotion.

You are not sure what is happening...

You manage to stay alive, working with your bunkmate. The lesson you learn is that people can only survive by sticking together in paints in these camps.

Do you want to help someone else as your bunkmate has helped you?

Do you want to escape with the small group who has devised a plan?

Do you want to keep carrying on as you are now?