Essay Sample on Significance of Telling and Minding Holocaust Stories
It has been 75 years since Europe's mass genocide, otherwise known as the Holocaust, occurred. Jewish people were primary targets for Germany's plan to create their "master race.” Concentration camps and laws were enforced against any outcasted group in order to enslave them from their liberty. This period of world history seems to be fading into thin air. Victim's stories have been lost and disregarded by not only some of the US, but other countries too. Why is this part of history even important? It is so critical to reveal and listen to this chapter of history for the sake of our future generations’ morality and education. It should be evident as to why it is necessary to listen and learn about someone’s experience during the Holocaust.
Listening to Holocaust stories and experiences makes people aware of the possibility of recurrence and the difference between right and wrong. Minding these stories can assist upcoming world leaders in determining what is good and what is evil, as well as, what government policies to make. The Jewish Chronicle states, "...The Holocaust is more than a warning from the past." This suggests that the future is quite likely to repeat itself, and humanity should have learned from not only the Holocaust, but also earlier genocides. The Armenian Genocide, as well as, The Guatemalan Genocide, should have also served as a forewarning.
According to Jack Polak, Holocaust survivor, "The Holocaust must be taught as an important lesson in history, since by remembering its horrors it will teach us how to avoid one in the future." By listening to these stories, history is prone to not repeat. These risks of the future could be lessened by world school systems simply requiring Holocaust education. Survivors speaking of their stories associated with this atrocity helps people to become morally aware of the Holocaust and why it was horrible. In fact, morality is a psychological concept that has to do with the human brain. Certain aspects of righteousness rely on the frontal lobe of the brain. A hormone called oxytocin is released when we learn about someone’s experience or history. This hormone is responsible for feelings and empathy. In this way, a Holocaust survivor telling their story can help other people become more emotionally aware of social concepts.
Some people would argue that topics of the Holocaust should be reserved for adults only. Seeing how graphic and disturbing these stories are, one could understand that perspective. However, young populations in their most impressionable years benefit from learning such atrocities and how to avoid them. This period of history makes them aware of what social justice should include, and the power of people’s ideas.
Revealing and listening to this part of history is so critical for our future generation, morality, and education. Requiring world curriculum to teach Holocaust education and hearing survivors stories are ways we can help our society change for the better. Cherishing and remembering these lost souls taken by this tragic event in history, is valuable and important to our future world.
