March 2000:
Holocaust Field Trip Reflection
Prior to my trip to the Holocaust Memorial Museum, I had only studied about the Holocaust in my history classes. In these classes, we studied this tragedy on a whole, never journeying into the details of exactly what happened to the poor victims. I read about Hitler and about all of his tragic actions, but I don’t really feel that I got a true understanding of how horrific the Holocaust was until I was able to “see” what went on inside the many concentration camps.
I suppose the saying, “Actions speak louder than words,” would be appropriate to describe my feelings on reading about the Holocaust in my books. I feel that picture bring words to life. Going to the museum helped me to associate what I had read about the Holocaust with the images I saw there. From previously reading about the Holocaust, I knew that the Jewish people were tortured and tormented in many different ways. However, I never knew how cruel Hitler and his men were to these people. I knew that the Jews were forced to do work for the Nazis and that they basically used these people as little pawns in a chess game. I also knew that if the people could do a particular task well, the Nazis would spare their lives. However, I never realized how the Germans mass-murdered millions of Jews. When I was in the museum and saw the model of the Crematorium, it mad me want to cry. It’s so hard for me to believe that some of G-d’s creatures could treat other so harshly because they’re different! It just shocked me when I saw the area of the model where the many, many Jews were gassed to death. Then, I followed along the model until I saw the ovens that the bodies of the murdered Jews were placed in. I read on the display that the reason the Germans cremated the deceased bodies of the Jews was to destroy the evidence of the horrible crimes they were committing. It just gives me chills when I think of how inhumanely these poor people were treated! The Nazis cut the hair off of the heads of the dead Jews, and scraped the gold fillings out of their teeth in an effort to make money. They even went so far as to tattoo the people with numbers. This horrible action was demeaning to the Jews and took way their individuality.
In viewing Daniel’s Story, I was also able to see what the Holocaust was like for Jewish children. In the exhibit, visitors were able to read many selections of Daniel’s journal, which describe everything that happened to the poor little boy and his family during the time of the Holocaust. He tells of the horrors of the family synagogue being burned and he and his parents being taken form their home. I don’t think that I could ever truly imagine the feelings that the Jewish people felt when they were taken away from their homes, crammed into railroad cars, and forced to work in a camp while living in constant fear of death.
I feel that the elevator ride on the way up to the fourth floor of the museum helped to set the mood for the tour. It helped me to feel what the poor Jewish people must have felt like on their journey in the railroad cars to the camps. It was very close quarters and breathing was semi-difficult. However, this trip on the elevator lasted only a short while in comparison to the journeys to the concentration camps.
I was also shocked to learn that some of the Jews were used as subjects for medical experiments within the camps. .Scientists performed experiments on the brains of some of the Jews. A midget Jewish schoolteacher was killed because the scientists wanted to “study” his unique bone structure! I couldn’t imagine being treated in such a manner!
I feel that the Indentification Card helped me to relate my person with the experiences the Jewish people were forced to endure throughout the Holocaust. The name of the woman on my card was Leah Kohl Rapaport. She lived in Poland, where she received her high school diploma and attended the university for one year. She married Joseph Rapaport and gave birth to a daughter, Zofia. Joseph was forced into military duty and survived the battles that he was involved in. They were hidden from the Nazis by one of Joseph’s friends. Unfortunately, Joseph was sent to a concentration camp and died there. Leah and Zofia went to Cracow, where they stayed until the city was freed from Nazi control. Reading the story of this poor woman helped me to see what many of the Jews were going through during this difficult time. I think it would’ve been awful to have to hide from the authorities in an effort to escape trouble. I would have been so afraid that we were going to get caught and punished severely. I also would’ve been terrified if my husband had been forced in to the military. I would’ve been scared that he would be killed in battle. It would be awful to have to try to survive all-alone with my daughter during World War II. I don’t think that I could’ve done it!
The most terrifying day of my life would have been when my husband was sent to a concentration camp I’m sure that I would’ve cried and cried and cried. I would’ve known that the chances of my seeing him again were very slim. I would be sure to tell him how much I love him and that we will always be together no matter what happens. I would have trusted that G-d would protect him in his times of trouble. I’d also believe that G-d would guide me along in my journey of the world with my daughter. I’d know that I would eventually be able to live happily ever after with my love in heaven!
So, I feel that my trip to the museum was a very valuable learning experience. I learned much more about the Holocaust than I had previously known. Now, I am able to inform my family and other friends (who did not attend the trip) about the details of the crimes that took place within the many concentration camps. I also know that, in the future, I will be able to educate my children on this tragic part of history. I feel that it will be very important for them to be aware of this event. In doing so, I hope that they will continue to share the information with their children, and so on. I also hope that my children, along with many others, choose to take a journey to the Holocaust Memorial Museum and have as enlightening an experience as I had.
S.P.