IWWG - The Holocaust (Lesson)
The Holocaust
The Holocaust describes the persecution and murder of six million Jews and other groups during the years the Nazi party controlled Germany, in the years 1933-1945. The Holocaust was the plan of German dictator, Adolf Hitler, who was motivated by anti-Semitism. He believed that Germany needed to eliminate the Jews and focus on Aryan supremacy to prosper as a country. Hitler planned to rid Europe of all Jews.
Holocaust means “complete or great destruction”. During the reign of Hitler and the Nazi government in Germany, more than six million Jews were murdered. Other groups targeted included gypsies, Slavs, homosexuals, mentally ill and the physically disabled. Many concentration camps existed where they were either killed immediately or used as slave labor and eventually died of starvation, disease, overwork or a combination of all of these factors. Allied soldiers liberated these camps and discovered gas chambers, mass graves and malnourished and dying prisoners in 1944. Nazi leaders went on trial due to their crimes against humanity at Nuremberg.
Members of the large Jewish population in Atlanta were horrified and sent money to help rescue Jews from the Holocaust. The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Jewish Family and Career Services assisted Holocaust survivors. The Holocaust increased fears of prejudice against Jews and increased the support for a Jewish State. Many Jewish Georgians were thrilled that the United Nations formally recognized the nation of Israel in 1948. In 1986, Gov. Joe Frank Harris established the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. In 1988, the commission became a permanent state agency whose goal is to teach future generations about the dangers of prejudice, racial hatred and genocide in hopes of preventing a repeat event like the Holocaust. The Breman Museum is located in Atlanta. Over several years of work and donations, the museum officially opened in 1996. The Museum’s focus is to celebrate the Jewish experience with lessons and memories of the Holocaust and of the history of Jewish people in the Southern United States.
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The Holocaust is a tragic event that took place in addition to the war-torn losses of Europe. 6 million Jews lost their lives due to the anti-semitic beliefs of Adolf Hitler. Georgia and many other states established State Commissions to recognize the dangers of prejudice, racial hatred, and genocide to educate the population on acceptance.
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