Olga Bitterman, Frances Katz, Paul and Judith Schenderman, Hennery Rosemarin, and at least 6 million others who survived the Holocaust have to live with the memory and the horrors of the Holocaust.  Lets start at the  beginning:

In 1933 just after World War II, Adolf Hitler came to power.  The trouble started then with a shooting.  The shooting was by Herschel Grynszpans. He became crazed about the letter that his sister wrote him about how much trouble they were having and how they were poor and needed him to send them money.  He went out and bought a gun a few days later, and then entered the German embassy in Paris, and shot Ernst vom Rath.  A few hours later he died.  That night Joseph Goebelles ,blaming Jews for the shooting, went and broke into hundreds of synagogues throughout Germany and Austria.  He poured gasoline on the seats and the holy arks and set them on fire. Fire brigades came to protect the nearby buildings but did not extinguish the fires.  Thousands of Jewish owned shop had broken windows or stolen merchandise. Jews were forced to watch as their homes and belongings burned to the ground.

From that point on the Jews knew they would go through rough times, but they never dreamed the nightmares and horrors.

Thirty thousand Jewish men were arrested and taken to concentration camps to work or labor for Germans.  Ben Stem was one of the unlucky men to be picked.  He tells his story:

"Before being picked I remember that people were telling me that we were going to Auschwitz and other concentration camps.  But if had no clue what they were or meant.  People told me I wouldn't understand."

On the way to Auschwitz after being picked Ben tells you what is it was like."  We were rounded u and stuffed 80 to 100 people to a cattle car.  We were packed in like sardines.  They told us to bring little belongings as possible to save room.  For two days and nights we traveled with no food at all.  The heat was so unbearable that some people died.  One morning at dawn we reached Auschwitz.  I got numb I couldn't move or feel anything.  Then the SS men opened the doors and started yelling 'Raus, Raus' or 'get out of there, get out!'

" We jumped off as quickly as possible trying not to step on the people who died from the heat.  SS men stood about every 10 feet making sure everyone obeyed.  The SS man in charge stood there with a grin on his face while he told people which way to go.  To the right was your destiny to the left was your death at the gas chambers.  As soon as we were chosen we were told to head to the showers.  We washed, then SS men came around with chemicals to kill the lice we had gotten from the trip.  They put it on our heads under our arms and they shaved our heads."

Jacques Lipetz remembers many things bout the holocaust, death camps, and Adolf Hitler but he only has this to say:

" Looking back, my occupation , was benign compared to the horrors of the Nazis, but what loss of freedom is benign?  What security lies in not knowing if there will be a tomorrow?"

Sarah Salamon  remembers  the most horrible thing was watching here family burn in the chambers.  She remembers saying this:

" God where are you?  God where is the promises? I believe in you, God!  The smell of people, my family, There cries it is just to much God.  Save me from this hell hole.  God please, I beg you take me while you can!"

Jessica Jensen

7th Grade Rossville Jr. High

Spring 2001

Bibliography