Anti-Semitism The Holocaust

What is Anti-Semitism? Throughout history Jews have faced prejudice, hatred and discrimination, known as anti-Semitism

History of Anti-Semitism Cultural differences made the Jews stand-out; Jews generally lived in close-knit communities; Have been discriminated against by groups including Christians for 2000 years.

Anti-Semitism in Germany Hitler blamed Jews for loss of WWI; Hitler chose Jews as a cultural group to blame for Germany’s troubles; Hitler created policies where Jews were seen as lesser humans; German laws were made where Jewish business’ were to be boycotted.

Anti-Semitism in Germany Boycott signs were worn by Germans; Entrances to Jewish shops were blocked; Signs were made: “Germans, defend yourselves against the Jews, buy only at German shops!”; In 1935, Germany defined who was a Jew – deprived Jews of political rights.

Anti-Semitism in Germany Organized violence was carried out against Jews in Germany and Austria; Buildings next to Synagogues which were burned were protected; Jews were gathered and moved into ghettos and then to camps.

History of Anti-Semitism In 30 CE, Christ was killed; 325 CE, Christianity becomes the official religion of the Roman Empire; Jews were negatively portrayed; Jews were shown to be less than human.

Anti-Semitism in Germany There was a time called Kristallnacht, when the Nazis burned down synagogues, places where the Jews practiced their religion, and they destroyed Jewish businesses and homes. Jewish children were not allowed to go to school anymore.

Anti-Semitism in Germany Jews had curfews for how late they could be out, and then they weren’t allowed in public places.

Anti-Semitism in Germany 100’s of Jews were packed onto cattle train carts where they were transported to various locations; Some locations were working camps while others were death camps; On a sign at some of the camps stated, “Work makes one free”.

Anti-Semitism in Germany At the camps, little if any food was served; If food was served, sometimes it was rotten Bread – moldy which would cause illness; Jews had to carry identification cards and they always had to wear a Star of David badge.

The Concentration Camps Concentration camps are places where most of the victims of the Nazis were killed; The concentration camps were not a place where you could live and die peacefully; At these camps, the treatment was extremely harsh and cruel.

The Concentration Camps Every person there was either sick, starving, dying, or a slave laborer; They would die in many types of ways, like starvation, sickness, a machine gun, or overworking your body; Some people were even told that they were going to take a shower, but they were killed.

The Concentration Camps They were tricked, and they actually went into a gas chamber; They died at all different ages, but the Nazis didn’t care; Millions of innocent people lost their lives in concentration camps due to the systematic Nazi murders by means of gassing, shooting, and torture of any kind.

The Concentration Camps Among Jews were also gypsies, Slavs, Russians, war captives, and anti-Nazi Germans; The gas chambers, Nazi's most "efficient" method for mass murder, show that they declined to the lowest form of humanity, so that they did not hesitate to kill hundreds of thousands of little children and even babies.

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