Essay Sample about Holocaust

We all know the horrendous circumstances that the Jews faced during the holocaust. Millions were killed, few survived, and even more people were affected. Even today, these things still haunt many people. People can only prevent a repeat of this in the future if they learn from past experiences and mistakes. Society should remember and honor victims of the holocaust by using the texts to study the daily life of the jews, how they were treated, and why they should speak out when people are suffering.

The Jews were under awful living conditions. They were not able to do a lot of everyday things. The nazis changed the Jews' lives, and they set many boundaries on them. For example, "The Diary of a Young Girl" states, "Our freedom was severely restricted by a series of anti-Jewish decrees: Jews were required to wear a yellow star; Jews were required to turn in the bicycles; Jews were forbidden to use streetcars; Jews were forbidden to ride in cars, even their own" (Frank 9).  This shows some of the first restraints placed on the Jews. Society can see how much they could not do and empathize with the Jews about how their limitations affected them. They also had to stay safe and find numerous ways to do so. Many went into hiding, and daily life was too hard to imagine. For instance, when the Franks went into hiding, Mr. Frank announced, "So, to be perfectly safe, from eight in the morning until six in the evening, we must move only when it is necessary, and then in stockinged feet. We must not speak above a whisper. We must not run any water. We cannot use the sink, or even, forgive me, the w.c" (Goodrich and Hackett 1.2.53).  This evidence shows the restrictions set on the Jews. It also shows how cautious they had to be. This marked a tremendous change in daily life and will affect them emotionally and even physically. This helps people better understand and imagine putting themselves in their shoes. The living conditions were awful, yet they were not the worst part of the holocaust. Daily life was just one thing to add to the trauma of it all.  It will always stick with the Jews and leave a significant mark on them.

The Jews got treated horrifically. They were harassed and murdered. Each day they would fear and worry about being put in death camps. In these camps, Nazis would torture you, some worse than others. In fact, "Right here in Amsterdam every day hundreds of Jews disappear . . . They surround a block and search house by house. Children come home from school to find their parents gone. Hundreds are being deported . . . people that you and I know . . . the Hallensteins . .  the Wessels "(Goodrich and Hackett 1.3.317).  This confirms that every day was a mystery. Not one day was ever certain. People agree that the Jews worrying about living another day is almost too hard to swallow. However, society can imagine themselves in their place, and it will help the people see how wrong this was.  In addition, the nazis dehumanized the Jews, especially in the concentration camps. Innocent people, let alone babies, were killed.  This can be seen in the novel Night, "Without passion or haste, they shot their prisoners, who were forced to approach the trench one by one and offer their necks. Infants were tossed in the air and used as targets for the machine guns" (Wiesel 7).  This shows how brutal the Nazis treated them. Understanding how the Nazis acted towards the jews helps people feel for the victims of the holocaust and what they went through.  Seeing all the difficult things that happened to the Jews and hearing what the Nazis did to them helps us respect and honor the victims of the holocaust.

Speaking out for what is right can go such a long way. It is crucial to take action and step up while other human lives are at risk.  People stayed silent during the holocaust, and nothing good came out of it. Even if people are uninvolved and not speaking for the oppressor, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented" (Weisel 10 ). To be neutral and to be silent gets people nowhere. If society learns to speak out in awful times, it can save lives. No one spoke out for the Jews, many people thought it was wrong, yet no one dared to speak out. If standing up for what is right kills one person but saves millions, choose to speak up. The Nazis came at all different groups, and most did not speak up because they were not a part of that group. Therefore once they reach people, there will be no one left to stand up for people. For example, "Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me" (Niemoller 5).  People stayed silent during times where they could speak out. Letting one human suffer, after another. When they reached for the last person, there was no one to speak for them. This provides an example of how humans should have a voice. People should realize when they know that human life is in danger in any way; no one should stay silent. Individuals should speak up for what is right. If no one brings the situation to attention, it will get nowhere. If society had spoken up during the holocaust, it would have saved many Jewish lives. Silence is never the option. 

In conclusion, looking at how the nazis acted towards the Jews, their living conditions, and why not staying silent when lives are at risk can help all people honor the victims of the holocaust. Society should better understand the Jews, and look into all human suffering, so things can finally change. Unfortunately, if history repeats itself, people are learning nothing. The holocaust was a depressing time, but people need to know how to remember it; together, humans should honor the victims of the holocaust in a respectful and empathetic way.