Jewish Holocaust Museum

Visiting the Jewish Holocaust Museum I realize how little I knew of the atrocities during the holocaust. I thought I knew plenty, but now I know it is not enough.

I wasn't expecting much but the moment I stepped into the area, I felt a spiritual sorrowfulness that just grabbed my attention and brought tears to my eyes suddenly.

In 1939 there was a Jewish Refugee Boat with almost 1000 Jews that headed to Cuba, but were refused entry. They turned to the USA, but they were not allowed to enter by Immigration, and were sent back to Germany Thankfully, France, England and other European nations welcomed them.

The big political stories and war pale in comparison to the small individual images of children dying in the Ghetto. Images of a soldier executing a woman from behind while she is holding her child in her arms in a strong embrace. (No photos allowed to be taken of course)

In the Ukraine, according to a German Soldier's letter, they executed 500 women in groups of 10 by firing squad. There are images of women being shot in the back in front of mass graves naked. They were told to strip naked before being shot. In Latvia, german soldiers encouraged the rape and murder of Jewish woman by Latvians.

These photos are amazing, yet cold and brutal. Jews being hanged, shot, digging their own graves. Video footage of children dying on the streets (1.5 million children died during the Holocaust)

There are many sketches and ink washes and some colored waterworks that Jewish artists recorded during their last days. One of the diaries read that knowing their fate (as in death) they wanted to keep a record of prominent people, so many had their portraits sketched. Some of these artists survived with their sketches.

Excerpts from the diaries are heavy and personal and put a personal touch to the 6 million murdered in the Holocaust.

News of mass exterminations spread slowly, some young girls who looked Aryan volunteered to smuggle news, documents, etc. with false documents pretending not to be Jews, a diary reads that they never rejected a mission.

There actually was a strong resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto who fought back German soldiers a couple of times.

There was even a crematorium that was destroyed by Jews who were able to smuggle some bombs and exploding them. 450 prisoners died at the camp, but the crematorium was rendered useless.

There are too many things to learn in this world. Let us use our time wisely.