Historic Encounters: The Holocaust (1933-1945) Flashcards
What led to the creation of the state of Israel?
The Holocaust
What did the “Jewish Question” pave the way for?
The rise of the Jewish nationalism or Zionism.
What is Zionism?
A political movement formally introduced by Austo-Hungarian journalist, Theodor Herzl.
What happened after the first Zionist conger in Basel?
Herzl argued about the necessity of establishing an independent state for Jews as a means to end anti-Semitism
What were some possible places where a Jewish state could be established?
Argentina, Australia, Uganda, Canada, and Palestine.
Where did Herzl believe was the most suitable location for a Jewish State?
Palestine
How long after the first Zionist congress in Basel was the new State of Israel established?
Half a century later (1948)
Who was the ruling party in Germany at the time of the Holocaust?
Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazi)
What was Hitler’s “Final Solution” to the “Jewish Question”?
Eradicating the vibrant Jewish culture established in Europe (Ashkenazim and Sephardic) over the last millennia.
How many Jews were dead by the end of the second World War?
at least 6 million
What is the Hebrew equivalent of the Holocaust name?
Shoah (catastrophe)
What is Hitler’s Genocide program known as? What are its derivative?
Hitler’s genocide program is known as Holocaust (from the Greek “whole” and “burn”).
Why did Hitler hate the Jews?
- Germany’s defeat in the first World War in 1918 caused grim economic conditions at home.
- One of his political platforms was to place the blame for Germany’s defeat in the war squarely on Jews.
How did Hitler gain so many followers?
Attempts to rebuild Germany attracted enthusiast supporters.
Was Hitler the first to use the Jewish anti-semitism to win an election? If not, who else?
Hitler was not the first: In the 1890s Karl Lueger won the mayoralty of Vienna with his anti-Semitic campaigns.
What conspiracy did Hitler recount in his book Mein Kampf (My Stories) published in 1925?
Hitler recounts how as a young man in Vienna before 1914, he learned about the Jewish conspiracy to infiltrate German politics in order to destroy the “Aryan” world.
What is “Aryan”?
The term “Aryan” originally referred to the Indo-European family of languages. In the 19th century, it had been given a racial meaning and been used to argue the supremacy of Aryan people over Semitic people.
What does Semitic refer to?
Languages e.g., Arabic, Hebrew, Aramaic
How was Hitler’s project given a theological dimension?
“In standing against the Jews, I am defending the handiwork of the Lord.”
How is the Holocaust a Christian problem?
- Hitler claimed to be Christian
- Some argue that Hitler and the Nazis are not Christian
- How do we make sense of the actions committed by Nazis who claimed to be faithful Christians when Christianity is supposed to e a religion of universal love?
What happened to the Jews when Hitler came into power in 1933?
- He enacted legislation to overturn the emancipation of German’s Jews, eliminated them from public, and strip them of their citizenship
- Jewish owned business and stores were boycotted and taken over by the locals
- Germans are not to enter a place marked “Jude” or with a star of David
- The government declared the “retirement” of all civil servants who were not Aryan
- University teachers were fired, quoting their works in academic projects was discouraged; accepted in only certain cases.
- Citizenships were revoked
- The German Boxing Association excluded all Jewish boxers.
What was Hitler’s 1933 legislated known as?
The Nuremberg Law
What was established in Manhattan New York by scholars expelled from Germany during the Holocaust period?
New School for Social Research
Who was Hans Perelman?
One Jewish doctor who transfused his own blood to save the life of a non Jew who was charged with race defilement.
When was the first synagogue burned?
1938
What was the first year Jews were rounded up and placed in concentration camps?
1938
What is the story of the SS St. Louis?
- In 1939, the German passenger ship St. Louis left Hamburg for Cuba with 936 Jews aboard seeing asylum from Nazi persecution
- Cuba refused entry either as tourist or refugee
- When Captain Gustav Schroder decided to sail to Florida, hoping the US would accept them, the US too rejected
- Some academics and clergy in Canada proposed the Canadian Prime Minister to accept them, only to be advised by Canadian Immigration the tCanada “had already done too much for Jews”
- The ship returned to Europe and arrived in Antwerp
Why and when did the second World War begin?
On Friday, September 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland.
How long after the beginning of WWII were Polish Jews herded into Ghettos? What resulted?
- Within a month, Jews in Poland were being herded into ghettos
- Many did not survive the harsh condition in the ghettos
What did the Nazis build to facilitate the “Final Solution” to the “Jewish Problem”?
A network of large scale death camps in Poland.
What was the largest of the death camps ?
Auschwitz-Birkenau
When did the gassing of Jews using Zyklon B begin? Where did it begin?
Began in Chemo camp in December 1941
In Auschwitz, up to how many Jews were gassed each day?
up to 7000
How long did gassing continue until? When were Jews liberated from the camps?
- It continued until Winter 1944.
- Jews were liberated from the camp between April and May in 1945
When and why did the UN vote to create a Jewish state in Palestine?
When the catastrophe against Jews in Europe finally came to light.
What was the negative of the creation of a Jewish state?
It eventually created similar problems experienced by Jews for the indigenous Palestine aRabs lived in the region. The original plan was the create a partition land for the Jews and the aRabs. Disagreement over the land created tensions and war, immediately after the Jewish stat elf Israel came into being.
What happened when the conflict over land with the Arabs had not been settled?
The state of Israel adopted the law of return in 1950, which granted “every Jew the right to immigrate to the country.”
What was the background of the early Jews who migrated to Israel?
Ashkenazi European background
When did the Mizrahi (Jews of the East/Middle Eastern origins) come to Israel?
1990s
Jews from the former___were also well established in Israel with their own political party and media.
Soviet Union
What are the Beta Israel?
Another significant groups of Jews are “Beta Israel” (House of Israel) from Ethiopia, many of who were evacuated to Israel after conflicts in Ethiopia.
What do many scholars contemplate about the Holocaust and blame?
Many scholars contemplated whether Christianity was responsible for the Holocaust
What were three long term negative effects of the Holocaust on Jewish beliefs?
- Many Jews contemplated if their Covenant had expired
- Some abandoned Judaism, raised their kids as non-Jew
- Some argued that the Holocaust was a divine punishment for the secular Zionist
How did Jews cope with the tragedy?
Tikkun Olan…Jewish culture flourished (in some cases) after the Holocaust. Restoring the world. Expanding charity and humanitarian organization. Good reason to continue the covenant, to serve the world.
What is the problem with Jerusalem and ownership?
Who does the city belong to…Christians, Jews, Muslims, or all three?
