January 27th Day of Remembrance
3 N: Giornata della Memoria: intervista alla Senatrice Liliana Segre and class discussion
4N: Â lettura di due brani dal ‘Dizionario del lager’ di Oliver Lustig
5N : Â reflections about Remembrance Day and the Holocaust, brani dal libro ‘Il pane perduto’ di Edith Bruck
1 H, 2 H:
Questions aim to activate prior knowledge, encourage empathy, and set the stage for critical engagement with the video
Pre-watch questions:
- Historical context: What do you know about the Holocaust and its impact on Jewish communities during World War II?
- Immigration policies: Why do you think nations might be hesitant to accept refugees during times of crisis?
Video (up to 5’22”) from Commemoration Themes – United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
https://www.ushmm.org/remember/days-of-remembrance/resources/commemoration-themes
Transcript:Narrator: The history of the Holocaust raises challenging questions about our responsibility as a nation to offer refuge and rescue to persecuted people from beyond our borders. In the spring of 1939, before the outbreak of World War II, the MS St. Louis set sail from Germany. Most of its 937 passengers were Jews fleeing from Nazi persecution. Five years later, with the world now engulfed in war and well after the United States had learned about the Holocaust, over 400,000 Jews were deported from Hungary to German killing centers. In both instances, public opinion and government policy determined how the United States responded. What can we learn from American action—and inaction—in the face of these events that could help us prevent future genocides?
[TEXT ON SCREEN] Confronting the Holocaust: American Responses
Narrator: On November 9, 1938, the Nazi Party engaged in a campaign of violence against Jews throughout Germany and Austria, an event that became known as Kristallnacht—night of broken glass.
Jill Pauly, Holocaust Survivor: Kristallnacht started for us early in the morning. My uncle wanted to close the shutters, leaving the outside world outside, and my grandmother said to him, “Stop that. It’s too late. That’s not going to protect us.”
Narrator: After five years of Nazi rule, hundreds of thousands of Jews were desperate to escape. The problem was few countries were willing to take in more refugees. Many looked to the United States, but did not yet have immigrant visas. Some hoped that Cuba might offer temporary refuge until their US visas came through. This set the stage for the voyage of the St Louis.
Steven Luckert, Curator, Permanent Exhibition, US Holocaust Memorial Museum: On May 13, 1939, the St. Louis left Hamburg to go to Cuba, and on board were 937 passengers. The vast majority of these were Jews. This was the beginning of something new, something good, but when they arrived in Havana harbor, those dreams were shattered.
Narrator: The Cuban government reversed its policy, invalidating most of the passengers’ landing certificates. Only those with valid immigration visas could disembark in Havana. Â
Scott Miller, Director, Curatorial Affairs, US Holocaust Memorial Museum: The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee sent a delegate to Cuba, but the negotiations fell apart and the St Louis had to leave Cuban waters. The captain decided that they were going to sail to the United States. They were America bound anyway, so it was believed that there’d be some flexibility. They sent telegrams to government officials, to President Roosevelt, and to the State Department asking for entry. The State Department stated that though they had waiting numbers to get into the United States, they would have to wait their turn and leave American waters. Â
Steven Luckert, Curator, Permanent Exhibition, US Holocaust Memorial Museum: By 1938 and 1939, public opinion is clearly against Nazi Germany, but that doesn’t translate into a willingness to bring in refugees.
Scott Miller, Director, Curatorial Affairs, US Holocaust Memorial Museum: Even confronted with specific lives right off the coast of Miami Beach, American public opinion was so against increasing the immigration quota.
Steven Luckert, Curator, Permanent Exhibition, US Holocaust Memorial Museum: If immigrants come into the United States, it might represent a competition for jobs. Bad economic times fueled xenophobia. It also fueled antisemitism.
Scott Miller, Director, Curatorial Affairs, US Holocaust Memorial Museum: So the St. Louis left American shores on June 7, 1939. Fortunately, with the intervention again of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a deal was brokered with four western European countries to take in the passengers: Belgium, Holland, France, and England.
Steven Luckert, Curator, Permanent Exhibition, US Holocaust Memorial Museum: This was celebrated, that these refugees had finally found homes. What nobody knew at that time is that Europe would be engulfed in war just a few months afterwards.
Post-watch questions
- Ethical dilemmas: If you were a government leader in 1939, how would you balance the need to help refugees with the concerns of your own citizens?
- Public opinion: How do you think public opinion can influence government decisions in matters of international humanitarian crises?
- Personal connection: Imagine being a passenger on the MS St. Louis. What emotions or fears do you think you would feel during the voyage?
Extra discussion points:
- What are the warning signs we should look for to help prevent future genocides?
- What is our responsibility as a nation or as individuals when confronted with such crimes?
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