1. Background on Jewish Oppression--Discrimination against Jewish people did not start with the Nazis. They have been enslaved, abused, and oppressed by many civilizations in history, dating back to the Ancient Egyptians. Even in modern times, Jewish people suffer a disproportionate amount of hate crimes even in Canada. But what are the reasons? How did the Holocaust happen? And what does it teach us about the nature of societies and of individual humans?
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2. Diary Entry--Some followed Adolf Hitler's evil plans because they shared his hatred of the Jews. Some followed because they had no choice. However, Hitler's charisma helped him fool many into believing he was a wise, admirable man with honourable intentions. See if you can figure out who wrote the following entry in their diary after meeting Adolf Hitler himself (Answer at the bottom of the page).
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Rene Goldman was a child in Luxembourg when the Nazis invaded. He witnessed the increasing atrocities against his people, which ended with his mother being forced onto a train never to be seen by the family again. Goldman spent several years in hiding throughout occupied Europe, and though he survived, he lost both parents. His mother was on the first train to Auschwitz, and his father was on the last. He later came to Canada, taught at UBC, and now lives in the Okanagan.
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Mr. Goldman's video testimony:
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https://vimeo.com/248042911
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