7812jk+Holocaust+Essay

James Kessler 4/29/14 p.7/8 __Holocaust Essay__

Hitler’s Holocaust Horrors

What if men in army suits took you from your house, your family, your life, and brought you to a camp where you do menial work, only in the end to be killed? That was what happened to about 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. Can you believe that? 6 million Jews! Even though some parents and teachers think that sixth graders aren’t mature enough to learn about the Holocaust, I believe that we should learn about the Holocaust.

If sixth graders get the chance to learn about the Holocaust, they will get to remember the ones who died, and respect the people who survived. Although many people think that only Jews were killed in the Holocaust, there were many other people killed:Greeks, mentally disabled, physically disabled, homosexuals, and many more. All together, including Jews, about 11 million innocent people were killed. That’s 5 million other people Hitler hated. These people were hung, shot, beaten, and even put in ovens filled with poisonous gas. There were, however, some survivors. One of them said, “We were trained like seals. Not a whisper, not a sneeze, not even a eyelash would even move. Everybody was totally quiet.” ~ Alexander Von Kollen (Hiding from the Nazi’s) This quote tells how the Jews were treated and what they were taught. Do you think that’s fair? You may think that he’s okay since he survived, but after everything he’s been put through, Alexander Von Kollen will never be the same. As Elie Wiesel said, “To forget the Holocaust, is to kill twice.”

A second reason sixth graders should learn about the Holocaust is to help stop it from happening again. This is what George Santayana means when he says, “Those who ignore the past are doomed to repeat it.” The Holocaust was Hitler’s attempt of genocide. Genocide is to wipe out an entire population. Other examples of genocide today are in Darfur, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Korbia. By learning about what happened in the Holocaust, no gruesome genocide will ever happen again.

The last reason sixth graders should learn about the Holocaust is it will create a better future. If we learn about all the killing, just because someone is different, we might try harder to get along with everyone. Although you might think that all the death might give kids nightmares, in the end it could only do good. The Holocaust can teach you that if you don’t get along at first, work it out, don’t kill everyone.

Even though some sixth graders might not be ready to learn about such a tragedy, I believe that most sixth graders are mature enough to learn about the Holocaust. Is it really worth it to risk a huge genocide just to protect our feelings? For the sake of all humanity, teach sixth graders about the Holocaust before it’s too late!

**Return to My Index**

Return to Home Page