The cycle has
continued and the brief moments of clarity at the start of the week dissipated.
The second week of lectures and tutorials was less of a shock to the system,
but the continuation of my tiredness and the increasingly dark content in the
lectures had me reaching a low point on Wednesday/Thursday. My personal
circumstances restrict me from taking the opportunities that others have
seemingly used in the evenings to explore and enjoy experiences separate from
the Gandel program. By the middle of the week my resentment and exhaustion
overwhelmed me, and it’s taken a bit of time to restore my equilibrium. I’m
very thankful I have stayed as healthy as I have during this time, and this is
probably largely owing to those personally imposed restrictions. There has been
a bit of illness throughout the participants, but apart from the constant
tiredness and one small encounter with some nuts I’ve been fine.
While the first week of lectures and content has looked at
the existing Jewish world and situations of anti-semitism, the second week
focused more on ghettoization into the Final Solution. Ironically the most
positive and yet challenging experiences were the testimonials we heard from
holocaust survivors. Their recounts of the difficult (which feels like such an understatement)
situations these people found themselves in as young children in Europe made me
so devoutly thankful to be living now and to have a complete family, but also
so uncomfortably aware of my own materialism and selfishness. The lack of free
time in the program has intensified my responses this week as I’ve struggled to
emotionally deal with the content and to contemplate how to integrate what I’ve
learned into classroom practice. Most of the week I was looking forward to my
first free time in twelve days – the Shabbat.
Lecture 1 Monday started positively. It was about Nazi
aesthetics in art and the ideologies which were supported and denounced. I was
really glad I’d visited the Haus der
Kunst in Munich because it was quite a feature of this lecture. The use of
visuals were also quite engaging.
We discussed reasons for why the Nazis were so supportive of
art, especially considering the reduced significance the arts receive in the
contemporary world.
- Hitler was an aspiring artist.
- ·
Completely engaged the Reich’s architectural
program.
- ·
Promoted by the state at the highest levels. No
expense spared in Nazification.
- ·
Platform on which Nazi power rose to power, used
as a tool of propaganda.
- ·
Controls information.
“We must create the
New Man so that our race will not succumb to the phenomenon of degeneration so
typical of modern times.” Hitler
Nazis were educating an entire generation to be
connoisseurs of art through visual cues and codes. (Leni Riefenstahl – Triumph of the Will, Olympia, films such
as The Eternal Jew, stamps, maps,
picture books, cartoons, magazines).
O. Garvens, "The Sculptor of
Germany"
I’ve not seen this
image before, but it spoke to me quite powerfully because of how effectively it
metaphorically reflected Hitler’s actions as the Führer, and it was really easy
to read and interpret.
A summary of the Nazi ideologies with relation to art
reminded me rather ironically that I pretty much side with the Nazis in my
personal preferences, although of course not to such degrees of extremism.
- ·
Standardisation and collective homogenisation in
art.
- ·
Contrasts and caricatures.
- ·
Following classical tradition. Noble simplicity
and calm grandeur.
- ·
Banning of books, or of ideas which were deemed
dangerous to the regime (incl Bauhaus).
- ·
1936 – art critics are banned. Artists who do not
conform have works confiscated from public collections, may be banned from
future work, and work may be displayed at the Museum of Degenerate Art. 112
artists and 16 000 works banned.
The next sessions further developed our understanding of the
ghettos.
Ghettoes used in medieval ages were vaguely reminiscent but
mostly different from the WWII version. The terminology was an accidental term
that became synonymous across Europe.
1.
Metaphorical term – segregated from social
environment. (common in C19 in Eastern Europe)
2.
Densely populated poor Jewish neighbourhood
(more common in Central and Western Europe).
Preliminary steps of ghettoization consisted of marking,
movement restrictions, and the creation of Jewish control organs. These were
established very early in Poland. To the Jews, the ghetto was a way of life, to
the Germans it was an administrative measure. (paraphrase Hilberg, The
Destruction of the European Jews, 1961). Hilberg identified concentration
as ghettoization.
I rather thought the following summary from Yad Vashem
helped me understand the concept: “There is also no evidence that the Nazi
leadership themselves ordered the establishment of ghettos in the exact form
they eventually took. Even on September 21, 1939, when Reinhard Heydrich called
for the centralization of Polish Jews into separate areas of cities and used
the term ghetto, he did not mean it in the way it was ultimately carried out.
Most likely, ghettos were instituted separately by local officials. Thus, each
ghetto was unique in how and when it was set up, how it was sealed off from the
rest of the city, and how it was governed.
Each ghetto was also governed uniquely. Because the ghetto
was actually a type of city-within-a-city, the Jews were forced to run services
and institutions for themselves for which they had no previous experience. In
addition to running the Judenraete, which were established before the ghettos
and were a separate entity, Jews in the ghetto ran postal services, police
forces, and various other services that a city would normally provide. They
were also compelled to distribute food rations, and arrange for housing, health
care, and jobs. Sometimes, a ghetto was divided into two separate areas: one
for the workers, and one for the rest of the population. Some ghettos also
contained other types of refugees besides Jews.”
Approx 1140 ghettos during WWII, 130 established 1939-1941.
Most established much later.
The next session was about the primary sources which exist
in the Warsaw Ghetto that reflect daily life and continuity. A particular point
that I recall was the emphasis it is essential to identify the author and their
motivation/positioning in taking images. Almost all of the images we used in
this session were taken by a German soldier,
Heinz Joest,
in the ghetto in September 1941. The responses of the Jews in the images do not
always reflect a true reality of their lives away from German eyes.
A selection of these images can be found at:
http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/warsaw_ghetto/german_soldier.asp
The final session of the day considered music in the
holocaust. We commenced by looking at the existence of orchestras and choirs in
the ghettos, and how the societies used these to continue cultural practice in
an insular way. Apparently I should watch ‘The Pianist’. Regarding music in the
camps, we heard that most melodies of
songs during the holocaust were taken from existing songs, with new lyrics
added. Singing could be used as anecdote and a form of a communication between
victims. These could be used as testimonials following the holocaust: It could
be a form of protest, a kaddish, a final testament. Sometimes the Jews were
killed because they sang. On other occasions, singing spared their lives. I
think this was a lecture that was less interesting than I had anticipated it
would be, or perhaps I was just reeling from yet another 1.5 hour lecture.
A great sunrise from my room.
Tuesday we initially started looking at cultural and
spiritual resistance by Jews during the Holocaust. My notes for this unit were
relatively brief, and we spent a while discussing the fact that resistance was
multi-faceted and that interpretations vary regarding what constitutes
resistance. We read excerpts from ‘Night’ which is one of the most powerful autobiographies
I’ve ever read. I suppose my restricted commentary implies I didn’t get much
out of this session, but it was really thought provoking.
The next workshop held great relevance for the classroom,
and discussed strategies for introducing the holocaust in an age appropriate
way.
- If starting with narrative in primary school, the story of an
individual should be balanced. A story of a survivor which touches upon big
issues, but don’t dwell on these.
- May start with some knowledge, but reduce the
levels of complexity. As students mature the complexity can increase.
- Big issues can be introduced, and later on
developed. Don’t introduce ethical dilemmas or provide questions without
answers. Middle school aged children
aren’t ready for the big philosophical questions in life.
- Even with senior
high school, some topics don’t have educational benefit. Be selective.
Overall suggestions:
The holocaust was a
formative event. One which will shape memory and identity for generations to
come. The holocaust can be taught from primary school age onwards. Yom Ha-Shoah
cannot be ignored in Israel – siren, TV programming. Controlling the knowledge
can then become a problem – you don’t want students to learn too much too
early.
A teacher’s role in holocaust education is to deal with
complex topics and to ensure that students learn through the ideology of
‘safely in and safely out.’
Apparently I didn’t have a coffee for the session about
literature during the holocaust, because I have very minimal records of what we
did. I remember reading some excerpts and discussing the texts we study at our
different schools. The most important emphasis when reading texts was to
recollect that there are distinctions between what is written:
(i)
At the time of the holocaust – fragmented,
partial vision
(ii)
That which is written subsequently – impacted by
context
The final session was about Holocaust films. The lecturer
was definitely the most engaging one we have encountered to date, and while
once again there was limited objectivity (rather an Israeli trait), it was a
session which prompted a lot of group discussion both during and after the
session. Because of my extreme sensitivity to film, I have consciously
restricted my access to holocaust related films. It turns out as a result that
the most holocaust related films I have ever watched are ‘The Sound of Music’
and ‘Indiana Jones’. Needless to say, I learned a lot, and I don’t quite fit
the norm.
Many others headed to the Israel Museum after this day but I’ve
already been and as established earlier, I’m not up to much in the evenings.
Wednesday’s subject matter was the final solution – it began
heavily but concluded with the optimistic accounts of three survivors – from Lithuania,
Slovakia and Italy. It was a real panacea after the morning, which I tried to
disassociate from memory. I did however remember that the emphasis of evidence
we saw aimed at the dehumanisation of the Jews, and that in discussions of such
material the victims and perpetrators should be treated separately.
When it came time to hear the survivor accounts of three
people who were children at the time of the war, I was excited to hear that one
was a survivor through being sheltered in an Italian convent. Yehudit was five
and was forced to make impossible decisions about her life as the only
surviving member of her family, and listening to her story was yet another
experience that reinforced the blessings heaped upon my life. I ensured I received
a copy of her autobiography so that I can both read and remember. The other two
survivors had brief introductions and people in other groups went to hear their
stories while I heard Yehudit’s. The debriefing session we had later allowed us
to grasp the nature of their stories in more detail. It was amply evident that
the rich lives these people had led afterwards were equally as interesting as
their wartime experiences, and showed them demonstrating amazing resilience and
optimism for the future.
Yehudit and I
A further survivor account was heard on Thursday afternoon
from Frieda, who part way through her testimony bared her arm and showed her
tattoo from Auschwitz. She was again so resilient and incredibly positive,
though she said she knew she would not go to hell because her experiences at
Auschwitz and then Bergen-Belsen meant she had already been there.
Earlier in the day we were made privy to the documentation
and information regarding the Allies’ awareness of the holocaust during and
following the war. It was devastating. The next session about teaching about
the perpetrators was done using both Nazi and Jewish testimonies about the same
event – a train transportation – and reading between the lines and comparing.
It was fascinating seeing such deviant perspectives.
Just prior to the account from Frieda we saw images from the
‘Auschwitz Album’, which was a collection of images found by a Jewish girl on
the day of liberation. The images record the transportation, selections, daily
life and other situations which were part of life at Auschwitz and as such
provide an invaluable and enduring testament of the millions of lives cut short
or affected by their experiences there. I think it was not coincidental that I
had my only rough night of sleeping that night.
Friday morning we looked at liberation and considered a
variety of posters reflecting images of the process of rehabilitation,
restoration and the aftermath of lives in hiding or in the camps. The next
session was about Pope Pius XII and his contribution (or lack thereof) to the holocaust,
especially with regards to public statements.
The final conclusions were the following: Don’t base history
on one testimony. Pius XII is a difficult figure to ‘judge’ based on the
limited scope of available evidence.
What is obvious
- The Vatican wanted to stay neutral.
- The Church’s main priority was to Catholics.
- The Pope wanted to avoid a schism of
Catholicism.
- What can be proved is that the Pope offered help
to those religious people who wanted to rescue Jews. He didn’t give a clear
instruction when requests were received.
What I found particularly interesting were the discussions
about the changing power of the Vatican and the political complications
involved at the time being surrounded by the fascist state of Italy, which I
hadn’t really comprehended before. What was of course confronting was the
realisation that through confessionals and other church communications that the
Church was amongst the first entities to be aware of the situation especially
in Poland, yet for mostly political reasons the organisation which should most
espouse humanitarian aid was deficient.
Because it was soon to be Shabbat, our very relieved group
returned to the hotel where we parted ways and enjoyed the experience of our
first daytime free time since the start of the seminars.
I joined a group of about seven or eight which dwindled to
three after a few alleyways in the Old City. Because I was the only one who had
visited Jerusalem before, I basically became the tour guide. Poor weather had
been predicted but we managed to dodge it for most of the afternoon until the
crazy downpour as we were preparing to leave the old city, necessitating a
crazy expensive taxi ride down the street.
I enjoyed navigating the streets more with others, and it
felt more friendly. We wandered through the Muslim Quarter along to the start
of the via Dolorosa and the Church of St Anne and to Bethesda. It was just gone
two and there were no groups when we arrived so it was possible to head down
into the pools and archaeological remains. It was great, and became even
greater when the Muslim call to prayer ricocheted through the ruins, and the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre’s bells joined into the cacophony. It was that
ephemeral moment which encapsulates that unity and disunity of religion and
races that is seen in Jerusalem.
Obligatory Church of the Holy Sepulchre crazies
We briefly followed a via Dolorosa cross carrying
re-enactment complete with Latin singing nuns before Jodie and Kerryn very
excitedly purchased an ancient coin each. My list of items to purchase was fairly
small but I ended up deciding to buy a cross stitched pillowcase which ended up
being a rather fateful decision. I’d run out of notes but because of the
dubious reputation of the souq obviously I didn’t want to use my card. I
arranged with the seller that I’d walk up to Jaffa Gate where I knew there was
an ATM, however it didn’t work and it was bucketing rain and of course that was
when the men were being more intrusive about trying to show me their shops, and
I got flustered and two hours later realised I left my card in the ATM.
Thankfully I have other sources of money and I was able to suspend the card
before any damage was done (the rain and it being Shabbat would have helped too
because only mad people would be out in that rain). That night was also my mild
nut encounter at dinner and the rain was torrential so there was no chance of
retracing my steps.
The next morning I walked back to the Jaffa Gate because we
had a later start on our Masada morning, but there was no sign of the card. It
was a pleasant walk and the first time in daylight hours I’ve ever seen the
square outside the Jaffa Gate empty.
