1. What scenes or images were most powerful for you, and why? What lessons or messages did these scenes offer?
The scene/image that struck me the most, and made me feel the most emotion was the picture of the building where all of the girls were living. It seemed like a place you would imagine animals living, not humans. I think the message from this scene was that in order to make the Jews feel less human, they tried to make them live as animals.
2. How did the Nazis dehumanize Jews? How did Gerda Weissmann work to overcome dehumanization, and who helped her?
The Nazis did various things. Firstly, they took them away from their homes, loved ones, and all of their possessions. When arriving at the camps, they were forced to be separated from family members. They were forced to shave all the hair on their bodies. The most dehumanizing part of the process, in my opinion, is that no longer did the Jews have names, they were given numbers to be identified by instead. She was helped immensely by the intelligence of her father. He told her to promise him that she would never commit suicide because it was a cowardly thing to do. When she was contemplating jumping onto the train during her days at the camps, she remembered her promise. If her dad had never made her promise, she probably would've done it, and wouldn't be alive today. Also, her Father made her wear ski shoes because he knew that she would need them. While a lot of the girls during the death march, and time at the camps had very injured and disgusting feet, she had ski shoes so that she could handle any weather or terrain.
3. During her ordeal in the Nazi camps, Weissmann says she fantasized about enjoying a simple morning with her family or deciding what dress to war to an imagined party. What simple things in your own life do you think you'd fantasize about if everything were taken away? What ordinary things do you think you take for granted?
I think if I were placed in Nazi camps, and forced to think of things other than death, I would probably think about just a day with my mom and dad. My parents are always very spontaneous, and though sometimes I wish I could just have lazy days, I always end up appreciating the nice times with my family.
I think I take for granted my friends. Sometimes I'm annoyed or angry with my friends, but at the end of the day, their the ones I need the most. There are times I endure things that I don't have the capacity to talk about with my parents, but I've always had friends there for me. Gerda told the story of how she lost a lot of the girls, and her friends during the Death March. I could never relate to that, but if I ever went through that, I wouldn't know how to survive without the daily comfort of friendship.
4. This film focuses on the persecution of Jews in the Holocaust, but others also were murdered, including Soviet prisoners of war, Roma (Gypsies), gays and lesbians, and Communists. In what ways do you see persecution happening in today's world? What groups do you see being targeted? What can be done to work against such prejudice and intolerance?
Not only are there still Nazi, KKK, Hate Groups, along with many others, but a lot of political government arguments are surrounding the topic of gay and lesbian marriage. I think that people need to learn to accept the different types of love that people have for each other. If I ever wanted to marry a woman, I would most definitely want people in support of me. The intolerance that people have for gay marriage is unacceptable. People should be able to love who they want, and should be able to show that love through marriage.
5. In many ways, this film is about hope for the future. Who are the heroes of this film? What did they do that makes you hopeful? What can you do to help make the world a better place?
I think the heroes of this film are the man who came to liberate Gerda and the other girls, as well as Gerda's Father, and the woman who ran the camp Gerda was placed in. These people make me hopeful because they had the knowledge, bravery, and overall passion for helping themselves, and others. I do not believe that all Germans were bad, or are bad today. I believe that there were and are kind Germans who felt sympathetic towards the Jews and others who were being slaughtered and forced into slavery. It makes me hopeful to believe that even though there were horrific, and beastly German characters, some of them were willing to help provide for others. I think, though I am of a young age that I can still have a say in what is morally right, and wrong. I can make the world a better place by showing my love for people of all race, religion, and any belief different or the same as mine.
The scene/image that struck me the most, and made me feel the most emotion was the picture of the building where all of the girls were living. It seemed like a place you would imagine animals living, not humans. I think the message from this scene was that in order to make the Jews feel less human, they tried to make them live as animals.
2. How did the Nazis dehumanize Jews? How did Gerda Weissmann work to overcome dehumanization, and who helped her?
The Nazis did various things. Firstly, they took them away from their homes, loved ones, and all of their possessions. When arriving at the camps, they were forced to be separated from family members. They were forced to shave all the hair on their bodies. The most dehumanizing part of the process, in my opinion, is that no longer did the Jews have names, they were given numbers to be identified by instead. She was helped immensely by the intelligence of her father. He told her to promise him that she would never commit suicide because it was a cowardly thing to do. When she was contemplating jumping onto the train during her days at the camps, she remembered her promise. If her dad had never made her promise, she probably would've done it, and wouldn't be alive today. Also, her Father made her wear ski shoes because he knew that she would need them. While a lot of the girls during the death march, and time at the camps had very injured and disgusting feet, she had ski shoes so that she could handle any weather or terrain.
3. During her ordeal in the Nazi camps, Weissmann says she fantasized about enjoying a simple morning with her family or deciding what dress to war to an imagined party. What simple things in your own life do you think you'd fantasize about if everything were taken away? What ordinary things do you think you take for granted?
I think if I were placed in Nazi camps, and forced to think of things other than death, I would probably think about just a day with my mom and dad. My parents are always very spontaneous, and though sometimes I wish I could just have lazy days, I always end up appreciating the nice times with my family.
I think I take for granted my friends. Sometimes I'm annoyed or angry with my friends, but at the end of the day, their the ones I need the most. There are times I endure things that I don't have the capacity to talk about with my parents, but I've always had friends there for me. Gerda told the story of how she lost a lot of the girls, and her friends during the Death March. I could never relate to that, but if I ever went through that, I wouldn't know how to survive without the daily comfort of friendship.
4. This film focuses on the persecution of Jews in the Holocaust, but others also were murdered, including Soviet prisoners of war, Roma (Gypsies), gays and lesbians, and Communists. In what ways do you see persecution happening in today's world? What groups do you see being targeted? What can be done to work against such prejudice and intolerance?
Not only are there still Nazi, KKK, Hate Groups, along with many others, but a lot of political government arguments are surrounding the topic of gay and lesbian marriage. I think that people need to learn to accept the different types of love that people have for each other. If I ever wanted to marry a woman, I would most definitely want people in support of me. The intolerance that people have for gay marriage is unacceptable. People should be able to love who they want, and should be able to show that love through marriage.
5. In many ways, this film is about hope for the future. Who are the heroes of this film? What did they do that makes you hopeful? What can you do to help make the world a better place?
I think the heroes of this film are the man who came to liberate Gerda and the other girls, as well as Gerda's Father, and the woman who ran the camp Gerda was placed in. These people make me hopeful because they had the knowledge, bravery, and overall passion for helping themselves, and others. I do not believe that all Germans were bad, or are bad today. I believe that there were and are kind Germans who felt sympathetic towards the Jews and others who were being slaughtered and forced into slavery. It makes me hopeful to believe that even though there were horrific, and beastly German characters, some of them were willing to help provide for others. I think, though I am of a young age that I can still have a say in what is morally right, and wrong. I can make the world a better place by showing my love for people of all race, religion, and any belief different or the same as mine.