The Holocaust and Elie Wiesel An introduction to a unit on Night By Jane Rieder

What do you know?  Think a minute.  Turn to your partner.  Get ready to discuss what you already know about the Holocaust.  What questions do you have? Entrance to Auschwitz

What happened?  During the Holocaust, 11 million people died in concentration camps in Germany and Poland.  Hitler’s ideology called for the imprisonment of Jews, gypsies, political dissenters, the mentally ill, and homosexuals.  Holocaust Encyclopedia Holocaust Encyclopedia

Why did this happen?  After the First World War, Germany was in chaos, and Hitler was a strong leader who promised a better life for Germany.  European fascism merged with anti- semitism.fascismanti- semitism  The western world was unaware of the true extent of Germany’s persecution of Jews and others.

Holocaust Memoirs Some victims of concentration camps survived to publish their memoirs. Famous authors who wrote about their experiences include Primo Levi, Anne Frank, Simon Wiesenthal and Elie Wiesel. Elie Wiesel addresses the U.S. Congress.

Elie Wiesel and the holocaust  Taken from his hometown with his family in spring 1944, when he was a teenager.  Transported to Auschwitz, Poland with his family.  He never saw his mother or younger sister again.  His father died after a forced march to buchenwald.

A photo of prisoners arriving at Auschwitz, May 1944 This took place around the time when Elie Wiesel arrived at Auschwitz.

Liberation of Buchenwald Wiesel is the seventh man from the left on the second row. April 16, 1945

Elie Wiesel after the Holocaust  Became a U.S. Citizen in 1955  Published his memoir of Auschwitz  Teaches humanities at various universities  Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986 for speaking out against racism and intolerance around the world.

“An Evening With Elie Wiesel” Let's watch part of this video...this video

From his Nobel Lecture:  “For me, hope without memory is like memory without hope. Just as man cannot live without dreams, he cannot live without hope. If dreams reflect the past, hope summons the future.” - December 11, 1986  Acceptance Speech Acceptance Speech

What are your reactions?  Think for a minute about your reaction to these historical events.  Then write a dialectical response in your journal – please include questions, thoughts and emotions.

The Holocaust and Elie Wiesel An introduction to a unit on Night By Jane Rieder