Humanity’s past is filled with traumatic, violent events. Wars have been waged, bombs have been dropped, and innocent lives have been caught up in the crossfire. Each of these acts is terrible in their own right, but perhaps the most ruthless of them all are categorized under the term genocide. The systematic purging of an entire ethnic group or nation. Genocide does not simply take lives; its aim is to completely blot out a people’s history and future. The effects of such a campaign are clearly seen in the Holocaust, where over six million Jews were killed at the hands of the Nazi regime in Germany. These victims suffered greatly: physically but also psychologically, morally, and spiritually. Yet during those tumultuous times, individuals
…show more content…
In Ida Fink’s short story “Jump!” she introduces Anka, a shy Jewish woman who lived during the early parts of the war. She lived a life of submission, afraid to take a chance or stand up for herself. It was not until she was put onto a train to a camp in Belzec that she finally discovered courage inside of herself. “Did someone in the train racing through the forest shout, “Jump! Jump now!”? Surely someone must have shouted; one person after another jumped. She jumped into the darkness.” (p. 115). Anka was afraid, but she was no longer willing to let her life be dictated by others. Although her leap of faith led to her death, she gained something those others like Primo and Vladek lost. She found courage to resist however she …show more content…
In a barrack within Auschwitz, a group of Jews decide to put God on trial for breaking his covenant with his people. The covenant was that God would guide and protect his chosen people if they trusted and obeyed him. Since the Holocaust was occurring, it was clear that one of the parties was in breach of this agreement. During the trial many reasons were brought up about the nature of God. Some defended him, arguing that he was beyond their comprehension. A remnant of Israel would surely remain. Others prosecuted God, saying that nothing the Jews did merited their persecution. The security of their way of life was in jeopardy. The court eventually decides that God was guilty of violating the covenant. It is evident that their view of God was irreparably altered due to the nature of their
In Ida Fink’s short story “Jump!” she introduces Anka, a shy Jewish woman who lived during the early parts of the war. She lived a life of submission, afraid to take a chance or stand up for herself. It was not until she was put onto a train to a camp in Belzec that she finally discovered courage inside of herself. “Did someone in the train racing through the forest shout, “Jump! Jump now!”? Surely someone must have shouted; one person after another jumped. She jumped into the darkness.” (p. 115). Anka was afraid, but she was no longer willing to let her life be dictated by others. Although her leap of faith led to her death, she gained something those others like Primo and Vladek lost. She found courage to resist however she …show more content…
In a barrack within Auschwitz, a group of Jews decide to put God on trial for breaking his covenant with his people. The covenant was that God would guide and protect his chosen people if they trusted and obeyed him. Since the Holocaust was occurring, it was clear that one of the parties was in breach of this agreement. During the trial many reasons were brought up about the nature of God. Some defended him, arguing that he was beyond their comprehension. A remnant of Israel would surely remain. Others prosecuted God, saying that nothing the Jews did merited their persecution. The security of their way of life was in jeopardy. The court eventually decides that God was guilty of violating the covenant. It is evident that their view of God was irreparably altered due to the nature of their