Berlin Memorial Activity

What did you learn?

     This Wednesday, during Language Arts Class, we did an activity contributing to the unit we are learning about. The Holocaust. In the activity, I learned that as years progressed from 1933 to 1945, laws and restrictions against Jews went up. At first, I learned that once Hitler rose into power, he wanted the Jews to get used to the torment, so he extended the laws to specific ones later on. From 1933 to 1945, I have seen a big difference in the laws. In 1933, I learned that the laws were mainly about jobs being taken away from the Jews. Jewish teachers had to be discharged, Jewish judges were placed on permanent "leave", (meaning they could not longer be a judge) and Jewish civil servants were discharged from their jobs. This period of time must have been difficult because what if these Jews had families? A son, a daughter? The jobs were the part that offered them money to support them, but by being taken away, they fell right to being poor.

 Why do you think this monument was built?

    I think that this monument was built for a memorial to the people that were musicians, and kept persevering their way through life although Hitler prevented it. Music was one of the things that were also taken away from Jews. They had to turn in their radios to the Nazi's. A monument is to remember those who died from an event in history. The Holocaust was a terrible, traumatizing, and horrible event that affected many Jewish families and Gypsies. Unfortunately many people died during the Holocaust, but the people that marked something, will not be forgotten for what they did. The Jews or Gypsies were overruled by the Nazi's but for example, the people that helped Anne Frank's family to hide, their effort to help was a good deed that they will mark for the rest of their lives.

 What did you notice about the number of laws passed in certain years? 

      I noticed that the laws passed in certain years became more specific. They became more specific because towards the end of the years of the Holocaust, the Nazi's began to take their food, they had curfews, they could not use a public telephone, and Jews had to wear yellow stars with the word "Jew" on it. At first it was jobs being taken away, but as time passes, it was almost like the Jews' life were a schedule given by the Nazi's. Hitler was a man with power and it was sad that the Jews couldn't unify because they weren't strong enough. They were abused in so many ways that they could not fire back. All these years were continuous of torment until 1945. 

Which restrictions do you think you would have the most trouble dealing with and why?

I think the restriction I would have most trouble dealing with, is not being able to graduate. I think this would be hard because education plays an important role in my life. My parents taught me to work hard in school, and the fact that I can't accomplish that, would be hard for me. Graduation gives me a chance to close a new chapter and open a new one. Jewish children could not go to public schools any longer, and it is required for children to attend school here in the United States. As the future approaches all people, we need to prepare for the journey of success we will have. Part of that journey, has to include graduation.