Intolerance In The Holocaust

“I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?” This quote from one of the most well-known plays, perfectly illustrates how the beliefs of a person do not determine whether that person is human or not. Although religious intolerance has been present in the world for centuries, the amount of intolerance is not getting smaller. However, with the use of works such as Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, and historical events like the Holocaust, people can learn to become more accepting and hopefully remove this intolerance from people all over the world. The Holocaust was a horrific event that took place in the 1930s and 1940s during World War II. The Holocaust was a genocide that killed approximately six million jews in Europe, primarily in Germany by Hitler and his army, the Nazis. However, not only jews were persecuted. Up to five million
non-jewish victims were killed for various reasons leaving the total amount of deaths close to 11 million. This terrible period is known as the death for millions of people. However, it is also known for the heroes that stood up against the authority. These heros are the people who went out of their way to help the jewish community, or other religious followers, even if it meant putting themselves or their families in danger. The Holocaust also serves as an important lesson for future generations. Although the Holocaust was a devastating time, this historical period shows how heroes developed to create a resistance and teaches generations how to learn and prevent similar events in the future. To begin, there was a number of people throughout Europe who dedicated part of their lives to help the victims of the Holocaust. Although there were some supporters of the period, there were also large groups of people resisting the ideas of the Holocaust. In fact, the non-victims would often hide the jewish in their homes or businesses in order to keep them away from the Nazi soldiers at times. This was just one of the ways people would resist the authority. By enabling the jews to live without being sent to the concentration camps that were set up throughout Europe, these people saved the lives a hundreds. One example of a true hero is Corrie ten Boom. By opening her home and finding other safe home for victims in Europe, Corrie Ten Boom, a dutch woman, saved the lives of around 800 people. Ten Boom opened up a room for victims who would stay until another safe house was located, and would then assist them on their journey to the next place. Unfortunately, ten Boom was punished for her help. The entire ten Boom family was imprisoned and most of the members of this family died before the war ended. However, Corrie ten Boom lived and eventually told her story in her book, The Hiding Place. Ten Boom also continued her legacy by opening rehabilitation centers for former concentration camp victims. Not only did this woman save an estimated 800 lives, but also continued to help the victims after the war. Corrie ten Boom’s actions continue to stand out even decades later, making her a truly inspirational person. Ten Boom’s action show how anyone can make a difference in people’s lives. Although the Holocaust was an atrocity, this event has become a piece of history that new generations can learn from. For example, since the Holocaust, people have learned more about what it means to be human and how not everyone is the same. Even though there are still places and groups that believe everyone should mirror each other in one way or another, there are more places that have accepted people for their differences and learned from the Holocaust period in a positive way. Learning about the Holocaust teaches people, young and old, what can happen when negative thoughts occur about others. It teaches students to not judge and that not everyone is perfect, but rather that everyone should be excepted for who these people are, regardless of their beliefs and traditions. By studying people like Corrie ten Boom and her family, newer generations are able to learn that it does not take something magical to make a difference, it simply takes a kind heart and a wanting to help. Anyone can make difference in someone’s life, even if it is a small one. The Holocaust was a devastating tragedy, and by studying the causes and consequences and asking ourselves about these, future generations will be able to prevent something like this from happening again and having history repeat itself. The Holocaust period was a time in history that left millions dead, and by learning about this incident, people can find way to prevent it. In conclusion, the atrocity that took place in the mid-twentieth century continues to stand out as one of the largest and most devastating genocides in history.
The Holocaust remains an incident that teaches people how to be accepting of others and what can com from a judgemental point of view. Learning about the Holocaust and of the resistance efforts made during this time teaches young people how the dehumanization of others is wrong. Studying the Holocaust also gives students ideas of how to prevent incidents like this from occurring at all. Overall, the Holocaust was a terrible incident that killed millions of people. This incident is not one that should be taken lightly. However, the Holocaust is not an event that should leave people in a state of mourning, but rather a piece of history that can teach new generations how to live and how to be accepting of others. Hopefully, people learn to look at the Holocaust of something that happened once and should never happen again. The Holocaust is a tragedy that will forever remain an unforgettable period in
history.