THE HOLOCAUST A HUMAN TRAGEDY
Student: MicuAlexandru, Grade: a IX-a G High school: Colegiul Economic “Mihail Kogălniceanu” Focșani Coordinator teacher: Toader Diana ,,The holocaust is a human tragedy (…) it’s not just a Jewish tragedy , but also a German tragedy, and a tragedy of all countries which contributed in someway to this human catastrophe.” Norman Manea- a Jewish writer The holocaust was a turning point not only for the 20th century, but for the whole history of mankind. The holocaust represented initially a religious ritual brought to gods, in which the victim was burned entirely. In the 20th century , the holocaust constituted organized extermination of circa 6 million Jews by Nazis and Nazi sympathizers . The reason the holocaust should not be easily forgotten or treated with ease is it’s uniqueness. Unlike all other genocides, which aimed to gain access to resources, the Holocaust aimed, in addition to access to resources, at removing and disproportionate of a whole ethnic and religious group , from wherever they were. This tragedy was backed up by a long evolution of anti-Semitism and constituted the height of accumulated hatred, over time for religious reasons, but especially for economic reasons. The most important lesson that can be learned is that this type of crime against humanity can’t happen suddenly and uncontrolled. If the steps that can lead in this direction are identified in advance, there’s a chance to intervene to stop it. The Holocaust didn’t only lead to the extinction of millions of humans, but to a way of life, to a material heritage and immaterial , which is lost forever. I think about the potential this would’ve had the people that were killed to make something for humanity , and for the organizing of the Jewish world from Europe, at the Jewish fairs, at the Jewish community from Romania decimated after 500 years of history. The accounts of the Holocaust highlight the extreme nature of the human behavior, hatred and cruelty, but also courage and humanity. This means that the Holocaust raises moral, theological and ethnic issues. This tragic experience needs to represent for us a lesson of the past for the present. The reaction to the Holocaust needs to be that of solidarity, respect, for the rights and fundamental
liberties of humanity. Every lesson of the past must be learned so that, in the future, we have the ability not to make the same mistakes, not to perpetuate violence, aggression, conflict, inequity in human relationships. The holocaust was the biggest tragedy of humanity and in all of global history. We must never forget the horrors and crimes of the Holocaust. It is our essential duty to honor the victims and to permanently condemn the acts of the assassins and their accomplices, but also to lay the foundations for reconciliation. They talked for decades about forgiveness and pain, they wrote a story that they left us a legacy for eternity. Holocaust survivors and their confessions urge us to be vigilant and not to repeat the mistakes of the past. Condemning the acts of hostility, anti-Semitism, persecution and extermination of the Jews is a guarantee that such tragic events of betrayal of humanity will no longer take place in our society. The greatest evil does not start with the bullet or punch, but with the word that gives rise to the outburst of hatred that makes it possible to press the finger on the trigger. I believe that it is important to detect and strongly condemn any discourse of hatred, discrimination, violence or blackmail against people, regardless of ethnicity, origin or religion. The Holocaust showed what a monster a totalitarian state, ruled by hatred, can turn into. To avoid the repeating of such crimes, we need to fight everyday for democracy, respecting the fundamental rights of humans and for peace. The commemoration of the Holocaust began only in the 1970s in the West. It was not possible in Eastern Europe until the 2000s, when communism stopped any attempt to remember the Holocaust. A significant way to commemorate the Holocaust promoted by a number of international institutions and organizations is to provide educational resources that ensure knowledge of the lives of victims, not just how they died. In other words, the names and faces of the victims are given, not just numbers and statistics. I consider the movie made by Steven Spielberg, “Schindler's List”did much more for the memory of the Holocaust than any history textbook Romania promotes tolerance between people, non-discrimination and peace, remaining active in the process of preserving and completing the memory of the Holocaust. We must not forget those who have been humiliated, tortured and killed out of hatred, as well as those who have protected lives at the risk of their own lives, thus saving the idea of humanity. I wish humanity could have the ability to learn from the great mistakes of its history! The Holocaust has remained a living tear that stirs the soul of mankind today.