Sixty-one years ago today

[darklinensuit]

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) falls on April 19, for on this date in 1943 the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began.

Please take a moment to remember those who did not live to tell their stories and the lessons the world must never forget.

- Jake

[jadegypsy]

Thank you for posting this, I never realized they had this day. May we also take a moment to remember those who did live to tell their stories and remind us everyday how blessed we are and to never forget and never let something of this magnitude occur again.

[tommer]

i'm afraid Rwanda's case showed us that no lesson has been learned. :shrug:

[GardenStateGirlie]

I wasn't aware there was a day either. Thanks for posting this.

[Rob67]

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) falls on April 19, for on this date in 1943 the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began.

Please take a moment to remember those who did not live to tell their stories and the lessons the world must never forget.

- Jake

I just bought Schindler's List on DVD, so I think I will watch that.

Rob

[darklinensuit]

I just bought Schindler's List on DVD, so I think I will watch that.

Rob

I usually read a Holocaust memoir each year at this time and go to hear a speaker. I'll hear one speaker on Tuesday. On Sunday night I heard a woman who escaped Germany with her family. For those of you who don't know, eventually all ports except one closed their doors to Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. Some ships were actually sent back to Germany for cetain death. The one port that permitted Jews? Believe it or not, Shanghai. This woman described her experience in detail, including what it was like when the Japanese invaded and occupied.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Thank you for posting this, I never realized they had this day. May we also take a moment to remember those who did live to tell their stories and remind us everyday how blessed we are and to never forget and never let something of this magnitude occur again.

I love this quote from Gerda Weissman Klein's All But My Life:
"Happy in my new life, I have penned the last sentence of the past. I have written my story, with tears and with love, in the hope that my children, safely asleep in their cribs, should not awake from a nightmare and find it to be reality."

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

Jake, have you ever read Night by Elie Wiesel?

[darklinensuit]

Jake, have you ever read Night by Elie Wiesel?

Yeah, many years ago.
The seventh grade teacher in my department requires students to read it. I'm not letting it happen next year. Seventh grade is too young. Watching the film Escape From Sobibor is also nixxed as far as I'm concerned. Save these for ninth grade. Eighth graders are visiting the National Holocaust Museum this week.

I heard Wiesel speak the night I moved to Texas. I heard Gerda speak later that year, and she is the best I've heard. Her bio is my favorite.

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

Yeah, many years ago.
The seventh grade teacher in my department requires students to read it. I'm not letting it happen next year. Seventh grade is too young. Watching the film Escape From Sobibor is also nixxed as far as I'm concerned. Save these for ninth grade. Eighth graders are visiting the National Holocaust Museum this week.

I heard Wiesel speak the night I moved to Texas. I heard Gerda speak later that year, and she is the best I've heard. Her bio is my favorite.

- Jake

We didn't watch Escape From Sobibor until 10th grade and that was the same year in which Wiesel's book was on my summer reading list. Seventh grade isn't really age appropriate for the content of the book, I agree.

As many times as i've been to DC, i've yet to go to the Holocaust Museum. The last time I was down there, they opened up a September 11th section in the Smithsonian and I had a difficult time with that so I don't know how i'd fair at the Holocaust Museum although I definately should make it a point to go there one of these days.

[ryan8472]

Our English and History departments did a Holocaust unit last year. I read Night for 9th grade English. It was pretty depressing, and isn't for 7th graders. Never had to watch Escape From Sobibor though. We watched a movie called Life Is Beautiful (I think that was the title) instead, and it was pretty good (and kind of funny). We did on the other hand have to watch some disgusting concentration camp footage (narrated in French :confused: ) in History class :distress: ...

[DownOnRodeo]

I feel lame. All I've seen is Schindler's List and that telemovie about the Nuremberg trials with Alec Baldwin which I actually found to be very well done.
And I saw that 'Survivor' episode of CYW recently, too. Does that make me evil? I feel all guilty now. LD's humour is always a guilty pleasure I find.

[jadegypsy]

Jake: good for not having the kids read "Night" is is a bit much even in 9th grade, when I read it. I did see Schindlers List though in school, a good movie, one that I am glad I saw, but will not likely watch again for many more years. I remember my 10th grade history teacher passed around picture of the people experiments done on holocaust victims, those gave me nightmares for a few weeks, not something I ever needed to see in life. BTW great quote.

[darklinensuit]

We didn't watch Escape From Sobibor until 10th grade and that was the same year in which Wiesel's book was on my summer reading list. Seventh grade isn't really age appropriate for the content of the book, I agree.

As many times as i've been to DC, i've yet to go to the Holocaust Museum. The last time I was down there, they opened up a September 11th section in the Smithsonian and I had a difficult time with that so I don't know how i'd fair at the Holocaust Museum although I definately should make it a point to go there one of these days.

I have the opportunity to study there or at Yad Vashem this summer, but I'm still deciding.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Our English and History departments did a Holocaust unit last year. I read Night for 9th grade English. It was pretty depressing, and isn't for 7th graders. Never had to watch Escape From Sobibor though. We watched a movie called Life Is Beautiful (I think that was the title) instead, and it was pretty good (and kind of funny). We did on the other hand have to watch some disgusting concentration camp footage (narrated in French :confused: ) in History class :distress: ...

LIB won the Oscar for foreign film that year. I don't think it's the greatest tool for education, but at least it didn't show more than you were ready for.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

And I saw that 'Survivor' episode of CYW recently, too. Does that make me evil? I feel all guilty now. LD's humour is always a guilty pleasure I find.

I'm not following. Clarify, please.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

Jake: good for not having the kids read "Night" is is a bit much even in 9th grade, when I read it. I did see Schindlers List though in school, a good movie, one that I am glad I saw, but will not likely watch again for many more years. I remember my 10th grade history teacher passed around picture of the people experiments done on holocaust victims, those gave me nightmares for a few weeks, not something I ever needed to see in life. BTW great quote.

One of my favorite films on the subject is Playing For Time, the one that was aqdapted from the play & got all the controversy about the casting of Vanessa Redgrave back in the day.

- Jake

[darklinensuit]

i'm afraid Rwanda's case showed us that no lesson has been learned. :shrug:

True. In fact, the survivor I heard speak on Tuesday stressed this theme.

- Jake

[GardenStateGirlie]

I have the opportunity to study there or at Yad Vashem this summer, but I'm still deciding.

- Jake

Wow...that's a very nice opportunity. What exactly would you be doing and how long would you go for? I say go for it if you can

[darklinensuit]

Wow...that's a very nice opportunity. What exactly would you be doing and how long would you go for? I say go for it if you can

The Israel one would be three weeks, the Washington one would be less. Both programs are for educators who qualify.
I did a Holocaust thing last summer and I really need time off from work, so I'm probably going to wait a year.

- Jake

[DownOnRodeo]

I'm not following. Clarify, please.

Whoops - CYE (Curb Your Enthusiasm), not CYW (Curb Your ..Windows?). Larry David's show. I thought it was really big in the US, whereas nobody here knows of its existence.
Anyway there was an episode - I think #8 or 9 in the 4th and most recent season - and it was called 'The Survivor', and, well.. in typical LD style it was viciously funny. he even made a 9/11 joke. Who could make a joke out of that subject matter?! Somehow he does. Actually isn't 'Life is Beautiful' a comedy too?

Interestingly I was just reading a review of the Tampa production of The Producers. I guess that Mel Brooks is of the same mindset about getting a laugh from taboos. Here was a great quote from the review:

"This show slaughters every sacred cow you can think of, and the beef never tasted so good. "

[darklinensuit]

"This show slaughters every sacred cow you can think of, and the beef never tasted so good. "

Sorry, I don't eat red meat.
The best thing about Mel Brookas is Anne Bancroft.

- Jake

[tommer]

The Israel one would be three weeks, the Washington one would be less. Both programs are for educators who qualify.
I did a Holocaust thing last summer and I really need time off from work, so I'm probably going to wait a year.
- Jake

do let me know if you really get there, and wouldn't mind meeting moi...
i do think tho, that if you really wanna study the subject, you oughta go to poland. while a week there, i learned more than any of the classes i attended, every survivor's story i listened to, and every museum.

[darklinensuit]

do let me know if you really get there, and wouldn't mind meeting moi...
i do think tho, that if you really wanna study the subject, you oughta go to poland. while a week there, i learned more than any of the classes i attended, every survivor's story i listened to, and every museum.

I don't think I could visit the camps on my own with a new group. I would need familiar people with me for that.

- Jake

[Livia]

Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam. Talk about a vibey place. I was moved to tears, as were many others. I bought the latest edition of Anne Frank's diary...it has extra stuff that wasn't included in the original printing.

My great-grand parents managed to escape all that. A family that my family grew up with, the Grandma had a concentration camp tattoo. That used to always freak me out when I was little. :distress:

[DownOnRodeo]

.
The best thing about Mel Brookas is Anne Bancroft.

Yes - she was in the season finale which I watched last night.


Anne Frank ... I guess I might visit that place one day (can you actually walk right into the hiding space?) but the story alone gets to me. :distress:

[Livia]

Yes - she was in the season finale which I watched last night.


Anne Frank ... I guess I might visit that place one day (can you actually walk right into the hiding space?) but the story alone gets to me. :distress:

Yes, you can walk through the entire house, including behind the book case. The only place you can't go is the very top floor, the ladder is only like 12" wide. It's very well done, with original artifacts remaining, and short film presentations throughout. They interviewed Miep, she talks about each room. It's truly chilling. I've never felt anything like that...I was there on Thanksgiving Day - which took on an entirely different meaning for me. I think I still have their website bookmarked...yeah, here ya go:

Anne Frank Haus (http://www.annefrank.nl/eng/afh/afh.html)

[darklinensuit]

Yes, you can walk through the entire house, including behind the book case. The only place you can't go is the very top floor, the ladder is only like 12" wide. It's very well done, with original artifacts remaining, and short film presentations throughout. They interviewed Miep, she talks about each room. It's truly chilling. I've never felt anything like that...I was there on Thanksgiving Day - which took on an entirely different meaning for me. I think I still have their website bookmarked...yeah, here ya go:

Anne Frank Haus (http://www.annefrank.nl/eng/afh/afh.html)

And isn't Shelley Winters's Oscar there?

I've never been there, but every time I see the last five minutes of the movie or play I just about lose it.

- Jake