THE GERMANY NEWSLETTER \
May 1942
Issue No. Seventeen
\
Top Stories THE TOP NEWS TODAY
THE HISTORY OF THE HOLOCAUST
A Brief Recap Of The Horrible Events That Have Occurred In Germany And Europe, And What Is Happening In Present Day. Continued on Page 2
OFF TO AMERICA
Hundreds And Hundreds Of Jewish Children Are Being Shipped Off To America To Remain Safe From The Increasing Dangers In Germany.
Maecenas pulvinar sagittis enim.
Continued on Page 3
A LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Editor Receives A Letter From A Nazi Soldier With His Opinion On The Current Events In Germany Continued On Page 5
Rhoncus tempor placerat.
THE GERMANY NEWSLETTER!
PAGE
The History Of The Holocaust By now most of the world is
do slave labor and continued to
aware of the horrific events unfolding in Germany. Throughout the country, Jews are being caught, beaten, taken to concentration camps, and
day after day. This went on, day after day, until eventually, the poor souls died of either disease or complete
even killed at the hands of the ruthless Nazi soldiers. Children are being sent away from their families to America and other countries that will be safer for
utter exhaustion. As the number of deaths rose up, the Nazis made mass graves for the victims. They piled
them. The entire thing is just a terrible tragedy. But it has been going on for quite some time now. Things started to go wrong
up hundreds of bodies together in one space, creating one horrifying and greatly depressing sight.
back in 1935, when, in Germany, various laws were enacted to exclude the Jewish people from civil society. Over time, the Nazi soldiers’ treatment of Jews
other than Adolf Hitler. He saw the Jews as an evil race attempting to gain control of the world. He was uninterested in expelling them from the country.
became harsher and more aggressive. Concentration camps were established and hundreds upon thousands were captured and forcefully taken to
In his mind, the only solution to his so-called “Jewish Problem” was to completely exterminate and wipe out the Jews once and for all.
the camps. They were forced to
Adolf Hitler
The tyrant behind this was none
2
THE GERMANY NEWSLETTER!
The Deutschland, A Boat That Brought People From Germany To America
The Rescue Missions It didn’t take long for Jews to
bring them all and one child
become concerned about their
would go all by themselves.
children. They did not want them
Some children could be quite
to be hurt or killed by the Nazis.
overwhelmed if they were very
So a rescue mission - known as
young.
Kindertransport - was created in
Once the children arrived in
order for children to immigrate
America, they would first go to
from Germany to America, where
Ellis Island and be checked for
they would be safe.
diseases, and fill out some
Hundreds of children would
papers. They would then go to
board boats to America. It was a
live with a family that had agreed
journey that took several days.
to take them in. It could
Some entire families went
sometimes be relatives but they
together. Although, most of the
would often be host families
time the family could not afford to
willing to let them stay there.
PAGE
3
Mutti Westerfield
In Loving Memory Mutti Westerfield The date of Mutti’s birth is unknown. She lived in the town of Stockstadt An Rheim. Because she was a Jew, she was taken to a concentration camp, where she died in April 1942. It was not long before her husband, also in a camp, died as well. Mutti is survived by her two daughters, Edith and Betty.
THE GERMANY NEWSLETTER
Dear Jakob: I Need To Bring My Family To America Dear Jakob, I Have Recently Arrived In Chicago From Germany. I Was Sent Here By My Family Due To The Holocaust Becoming Increasingly More Dangerous. I Have Been Constantly Asking My Vati (Father) When They Will Be Joining Me In America, But He Has Never Given Me A Straightforward Answer. I Am Becoming Concerned That They Will Not Be Able To Join Me. What Should I Do To Help Them? Do You Think That There Is Any Way I Can Help Them Get Here? Sincerely, Edith W.
Dear Edith, I Would Not Be Concerned About Your Family. I’m Sure That They Are Doing Everything They Can To Join You In America. In The Meantime, Though, Perhaps You Could Try Making Some Extra Money To Help Pay For Their Trip. You A Photo Of Chicago Sent From Edith W. Could Try Getting A Paper Route Or You Could Create Your Own Products (Arts And Crafts) And Try To Sell It. I Know That Your Family Will Be Glad That You Are At Least Trying. -Jakob
THE GERMANY NEWSLETTER!
PAGE
Editor’s Column A LETTER FROM A NAZI SOLDIER
To The Editor: Many People May
World. We Are Not An
We Are Doing A Good
Evil Race. The Jews Are Thing.
Think That We Are An The True Evil Race. The Evil Race Trying To Get Führer Believes That Rid Of Jews For No
They Must Be Stopped.
Particular Reason.
We Are Not Getting Rid
However, I Think That Of The Jews. We Are People A r e Simply Cleansing The Misunderstanding What World Of Jews. That Is We Are Doing. We Are A l l . I H o p e Y o u Trying To Help The Understand Now That
-Anonymous Nazi Soldier
5
Liam’s Lexicon Organizer Word & Page #
anti-Semitism - Page #9
Part of Speech (noun, verb, adj) noun
Definition
Hostility to Jews
Sentence from book
“He told my mother that he could only see one solution to the anti-Semitism in Germany.”
“The train would take us from our little town of Stockstadt an Rhein all the way to Bremen.”
Relevance or importance to topic.
Germans obviously demonstrated hostility to the Jews.
Use the word in a new sentence. (your own!)
Someone needed to put a stop to this, or all the anti-Semitism would continue.
Bremen - Page #3
Noun
A state in Northeastern Germany.
Jews that lived in Bremen is south of this town (and Ritterhude. many others) were stripped of privileges.
brownshirts - Page #16
noun
A member of an “Many of our friends spoke They could be very The brownshirt glared early Nazi militia of Brownshirts - the Nazi forceful to Jews. at me, his eyes founded by Police.” narrowed. Hitler.
Concentration Camp - Page #43
noun
Labor camps for “ ‘Camp? Concentration Jews during camp’?” I asked, stunned. WWII.
Thousands of Jews were taken to and killed at concentration camps.
Jews were beaten and killed at Concentration Camps.
Liam’s Lexicon Organizer Das noun Deutschlandlined - Page #8
Nazi National Anthem
“They burst into the Nazi national anthem, ‘Das Deutschlandlined.’”
Anthem of Nazi Germany.
The sound of the soldiers singing “Das Deutschlandlied” echoed throughout the streets.
Degenerate - Page #66
adjective
having lost the qualities considered normal and desirable
“ ‘They call that music degenerate, Bolshevik, or Jewish, even though it has nothing to do with us’.”
A term used by the Degenerate was used Nazis to refer to for anything only something that the Jewish. Jews do.
Deutschland - Page #36
noun
An immigration boat.
“I only know that somehow It got children out all of us got from the of Germany to smaller boat onto the America. Deutschland, and then set off on our real journey.”
Enemy Alien - Page # 173
noun
A citizen of a country which is in a state of conflict with the land in which he or she is located.
“Under the United States statutes contained within Title 50, you have been identified as an enemy alien.”
Fraulein - Page #38
noun
a title or form of “ ‘And what’s your name, address for a Fraulein’?” German-speakin g woman
The Deutschland started to pull away from the harbor.
Jews had to fill out As an enemy alien, registration after you must prove your the U.S declared citizenship war.
The narrator’s Fraulein is a term friend calls her this usually used for a to be polite. young woman.
Liam’s Lexicon Organizer Fuhrer - Page #7 Noun
A ruthless leader (ex. Hitler).
“In German, it was a pun that suggested the Fuhrer, Hitler, would be gone.”
Hitler was often referred to as Fuhrer.
The Nazis had to obey the Fuhrer.
Greenhorn - Page #107
noun
a person who is “One word I heard from the The narrator is new to or moment I arrived was referred to as this inexperienced at ‘Greenhorn’.” by mean a particular Americans. activity.
“Greenhorn,” they scoffed as they glared at me.
Heimat - Page #70
noun
the relationship of a human being towards a certain social unit.
“Still, it was our Heimat.”
The narrator is referring to her home.
Your heimat is where you were born and spent your childhood.
Hitler - Page #6
Noun
A German Leader.
“I’d often heard my parents He started the talk about how Hitler urged holocaust. towns to make themselves ‘free of Jews.’”
Hitler was the tyrannical leader behind the Holocaust.
Liam’s Lexicon Organizer Iron Cross - Page #5
Noun
The highest German military decoration for bravery, instituted in 1813.
“The famous Iron Cross, trimmed white, with the year 1914 engraved on it’s face.”
Awarded For Bravery During WWII.
The soldier was given the Iron Cross for his bravery.
Judenfrei - Page #6
Noun
A Nazi term, used to designate an area “Clean” of Jews.
“Judenfrei, It said. That town had met its goal.”
Meant that the Germans had rid the area of all Jews during the Holocaust.
Several signs were posted around town, all with the same message: Judenfrei.
Kindertransport - Page #17
noun
A rescue mission for Jewish children.
“Some parents shared information about organizations that might help, like the Kindertransport that arranged for thousands of children to go to England
It helped children get out of danger from the war.
Many Jewish children immigrated to England using Kindertransport.
Kraut - Page #117
noun
An offensive name to call a German
“ ‘Dirty Kraut’,” one boy said in a low voice.
Americans called Jews many nasty names, including this one.
People would call Jews Krauts and say nasty things like “Go back where you came from.”
Liam’s Lexicon Organizer Kuhkopf - Page #70
noun
An island in Germany.
“That one word describes the people, the Kuhkopf and the Rhein River.”
The narrator says this is part of her home.
The kuhkopf formed an island in the Hessian Ried.
Nazi Salute - Page #113
noun
A gesture or salute used by the Nazis.
“I gasped, remembering when students in my German classroom started using the Nazi salute.”
This was the salute that meant “Heil Hitler.”
The entire row of soldiers gave the Nazi salute.
Pfenings - Page #13
noun
A monetary unit of Germany
“On this Sunday, Vati gave It was a German me ten pfenings for the currency. show and insisted that I go.”
Sponsorship - Page #135
noun
Financial “We can’t leave Germany support received without sponsorship and we from a sponsor. can’t get sponsorship without lining up a job somewhere first.”
Star Of David - Page #73
noun
A Jewish and Israeli symbol.
“I couldn’t take my eyes off During the her necklace either - a Holocaust, Jews shiny Star Of David.” could not wear these.
Passover was a very festive time.
Swastika - Page #50
noun
The emblem of the German Nazi party.
“He was wearing a blazer It was the symbol decorated with a swastika.” on Nazi uniforms.
The swastika emblem was seen on the uniform of every Nazi.
Some families could not leave Germany without sponsorship from a family member.
One Pfening was all I could manage.
We required sponsorship from our cousins in order to go to America.
Works Cited Chapman, Fern Schumer. Is It Night or Day? New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 2010. Print. "Holocaust." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. "Holocaust (European History)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. "The Holocaust." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. "Holocaust." Holocaust. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. "Http://jwa.org/sites/jwa.org/files/styles/scale_width_225px/public/mediaobjects/ Schupper-Hella.jpg?itok=mrbPVw9X." N.p., n.d. Web. WEGNER, GREGORY PAUL, "Holocaust, The." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008, JEFFREY T. ZALAR, Dan Michman, "Holocaust." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Ed.. 2013, Elizabeth Knowles, "holocaust." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009, "Holocaust, The." World Encyclopedia. 2005, T., John Bowker, and "holocaust." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. "Holocaust." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam Research, 01 Jan. 2003. Web. 28 Feb. 2014.