We will never forget!

Today in European countries, there is a re-emergence of Nazism amongst young people.

In the British elections to take place on Thursday 5th May 2005, there will be candidates from the BNP ( British National Party) free to express their views that white skin is supreme.

Even one of the mainstream British political parties suggests that Britain should deny immigrants entry into the country, even if they would be killed on return to their own country.

Without people like you, standing up for your belief that these actions are wrong, it could very easily happen again.

Hi everyone,
Each year, on the Holocaust memorial day, I feel the same feeling - sadness. I am very sad because I remember the six million Jews that were murdered in the Holocaust. I remember all the people who died because of one reason - They were Jews.
I have my own story about my grandfather. He was a survivor of the Holocaust - he was a Partizan and fought against the Natzis. He hid in the forest of Belarus. One day, the partizans group heard noises out of the bunker. My grandfather's father, Dov Heiman, who was the leader of the group, went out of the bunker to look for the people who made the noises. He was shot by a Natzi soldier. My grandfather became an orphan. He buried his father in the snow, and took some things from him, that symbolized him: a partizan's spoon - every Partizan had a spoon, that he ate with. Some buttons from the shirt - as a souvenir a mirror and a piece of cloth with blood stains. Nowadays, all of these souvienirs are in my home.

The holocaust also shaped my life in a slightly different way. My mother's parents were both German.They had come to America as young adults in the early 1900s. I was born in 1941, right about the time that the U.S. became involved in WWII. My Grandparents were so horrified by what they heard of the war and the inhumanity of some of their former countrymen, that they made sure that my brother and I met and became friends with as many different people with as many different views as possible. My grandmother would take me to different church socials, not different socials at one church, but different churches. She saw to it that I attended the one school which accepted students from all over town, not just the local neighborhood. When I was old enough to baby sit, she introduced me to the man from the department store where she bought all her furniture. Mr. Goldman talked to me (my first job interview) then recommended me to the Marienthalls, who had two young boys. The boys and their parents taught me a lot about their religion. I even had a few serious talks with them about the holocaust (by now I'd taken care of their children for 4 years, was 16, and beginning to think more of social justice.)

Then I went back to Grandma. Now she was in her late 60s. I asked her why she never said anything to me about what the Germans had done to the Jews, gypsies, and gay men; she'd talked so much about so many other things. She told me in essence that she knew that this was a door that I had to open an a room that I had to walk into; she wanted me to get there in my own time and tried to see that I would be ready to face such inhumanity. She said it was not the Germans and Jews that I should be thinking of; that was too impersonal; it was 'them'. She told me something like this can not be allowed to be impersonal.

I will always remember what she told me: "You must always see the humanity in each person you love or hate. It will make your love stronger and your hate weaken."

She was in one of the harshest camps of all Midanic, in Poland. Out of more than 120,000 people only a few hundred lived. She was one of them.

She was taken to Aushwitz and finally moved to Czechoslovakia where she was liberated by the American troops.

Growing up as a child in the USA, she never spoke about her hardships but I remember the Holocaust Memorial day she would watch television and cry. As my brother, my sister and I got older we asked her why she was crying and she showed us the number that was burned in her skin like cattle and said “I was a Holocaust survivor.” Those words will always remain with me.

But the strongest memories I have of my wonderful and kind mother were the clean and sparkling house and a fridge always full of food.

When we were young we always took baths in our house and I never really knew why until I married my husband Moshe and we came for a visit to the USA after our wedding.

Moshe who was used to showering told my Mom that he was going to take a shower and she kindly refused saying that in her house no one takes showers. When he persisted she said the shower tap was broken. Then she finally told him that no one in her house has ever taken a shower nor will as long as she is alive!

My husband and I were shocked. I had never realized the true reason behind this. She had always told us that the shower water would splash and make a mess in her bathroom and since she loved everything so neat and clean we believed her and consented to using the bathtub.

Now the truth was out, she knew that the young girls and women who she lived with in Aushwitz and went to showers never came back.

This powerful memory has stayed with Moshe and me all our lives. While purchasing a home for our family, we did not order a shower. My family and I kept the tradition that my Mom had started with us. We just weren’t capable of showering; now even Moshe takes a bath.

Before my mother passed away she specifically asked the inscription on her grave to be “I was a Holocaust survivor.” It is on her tombstone so anyone who sees it will never deny the Holocaust.

Before about a year ago, I was very ignorant about the Holocaust. All I knew as a Jew was that it was a horrible event that was the cause of a huge amount of deaths of Jews during the second world war, and that it was one of the worst events in history.

Then I decided to look into the Holocaust more. I read books, and saw pictures of hanged Jews, and read the words of a Holocaust youth resister, who was later executed. I rented a documentary on the Holocaust in which survivers and former Nazis alike talked about their experiences. That documentary was one of the most memorable things I did- and not in a good way to be sure. One of the video clips showed a man who used to be Himler, a main general for the Nazis, talking about his experiences. I was shocked at him- when he was talking, he showed no remorse, no anguish at what he had done. I was disgusted- how dare this, this, this horrible person talk about killing and murder and torture as if he were discussing the apple pie his wife made. I listened to other people like this one- talking about how they had reported the huge masses of deaths of Jews happily- and still these people too showed no sorrow at what they had done, almost pride in fact.

I think that if I chose to hate them, it would be the biggest hatred I could ever feel for anyone. There were other clips as well- movie clips of Nazis shooting the Jews one by one in pits. ( The Nazis, as I found out, insisted on documenting almost everything as well). There was a movie clip of someone bulldozing the bodies into a different sort of pit after the war, in this case to make sure none of the diseases any of the bodies had got infected anyone else. It was horrible and sickening, and I felt even more furious at the Nazis who had done this.

Greetings!!!
I wrote my feelings to you before.I think that it is very awful and a huge sin.It is too unkind.for someone to do it,he/she must be a very unkind person and they mustn't be afraid of their God.namely,if someone is afraid of his God,he can't perish anyone..

I want to mention about a war ancient Turkey(Ottoman government) between France, USA, Russia, Saudia Arabia, Italy, Britain and another a few government .The goals of Russia were passing the Çanakkale,Ýstanbul defiles and helping the soldiers of British army.They wanted to have Anatolia and they worked very hard in this aim.

They fired at lots of villages of Turks and they thousand of Turks perished and they were very unkind and reckless. They were very strong and they could beat the army of Turkey because Turk soldiers and the Turk people didn't have any weapons to counter them, but Turks were very sinless and they wanted to live in an independent country and they don't want to live with other people around the world.

Anyways, some years later: they entered all of Turkey. For example: The French took over Adana with their helper Armaniens, another Armaniens took over east of Turke y(aðrý), and everywhere was taken over by enemies around the world. They killed thousands of Turksas if they could beat the Turks army but Turks believed in their God very sincerely and they prayed to God to escape from their enemies. Later our God delighted our ancestors and they beat them, the war was won by Turks people who were very curious and trusting. They beat them altogether... they reached their goals...

If we live in an independent country thanks to their help to us in ancient times. I want to please add to this information unit which is done from you...so we can unite with each other .

The Holocaust was the most terrible thing ever. Very difficult to understand what happened for children of the 21th century.

I wouldn't be in this world unless my grandpa (who unfortunatelly died a few days after this year Holocaust Day) survived the tragedy of the Holocaust to tell about it and start a new life here in Israel. Actually he didn't like to talk about it. He lost his three sisters, parents and relatives. He was alone until he met his future wife (Manya- my grandma) and after awhile my dad was born (in Germany).

As a child I was always interested in those stories of the Holocaust and read books, watched movies connected to the subject and asked survivors about it. I think it's exteremely important to tell the stories so something similar to the Holocaust won't occur again. Those delegations to Poland are important as well so the young generation will be aware of what had happened 60 years ago. We must always remember therefore, that there isn't another home for the Jews than Israel. "There is no place like home".

The holocaust was a horrifying experience to the modern world. There were other genocides in the history of the world, but the genocide in the Second World War, was the worst.

The Nazis killed the Jews in nonhuman ways. Jews all over Europe died suffering in ways that the world didn't and will not witness again.
The Nazis did things that human brain can't understand; they did soap from the skin of the dead people, they burned numbers in the hands of their prisoners.
They thought that was a game. They found it funny to see the Jews do hard physical labor, hungry to bread, while they sit comfortably, eat delicacies and occasionally shoot Jews to death.

The holocaust was an unbelievable chapter of human history.
I think that if we want to prevent murderous, calculated and awful genocides like that, we need to listen one to each other, and understand other people' hearts.

All should start with us kids, the young generation that should not agree with mistakes of their parents.

Iddan
Petach Tikva, Israel

Holocaust Poem

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.

I have seen this poem in different forms over the years. It speaks to me of the need to be aware of what is happening in the world and to take action.

It is in forums like this that we can share what happened to 6 million Jews who lost their lives and the ones left behind who struggled for existence. Families were separated and the suffering endured like most of us can not imagine, given our daily lives.

Thanks to those people who shared there very painful and personal stories about how the Holocaust impacted their loved ones. Marsha, your personal story shows the courage, respect for humanity and insight your mother had. It also makes this very real, especially for those who have a had a hard time relating to such a tragedy.

I hope sharing these stories also builds an awareness that the need for tolerance, respect and vigilence is as important as the need for food or fresh water.

by Rob Kay
Canada

Some of you know that Mrs. Henderson and I spent several years living in a small village in Germany. Our landlady, Frau Schreiner, treated us like we were family! We often went to her house for afternoon tea. One day, Frau Schreiner spoke of what it was like to be a young girl in World War II. It was for us, a different view of history.

Frau Schreiner remembers the time when her teachers were given an extra book from which to teach the children. It had Nazi propoganda in it. When young Elizabeth failed to memorize a Nazi lesson, her teacher scolded her loudly, so that the soldiers could hear. "Now, you will spend the afternoon reading AGAIN, until you get it RIGHT!" After they went away, the teacher said, "Shhhhh! Take a good book and put it inside the Nazi book. They will never know." And so she spent the afternoon reading a good book.

Frau Schreiner spoke of one day when the German army trucks came into her village. The soldiers asked all the Jewish families to come out, and get into the trucks. They were told that they were being taken to a safe place. "Let me pack my things!", one woman said. The soldier replied, "Where you are going, you won't need them." The families thought they were going to a resort. The other families leaned out of their windows and waved good bye to their neighbors as the trucks drove away. They never saw their Jewish friends again.

"How could we be so STUPID?", Frau Schreiner asked. She feels badly even to this day. I told her, "You didn't know." And it was true. In those days, the government controlled all the news, and all the radio. The people were forbidden to listen to anything on the radio except for Nazi broadcasts. Frau Schreiner remembers when her family would turn the radio very low and gather around whispering, listening for any news about when the Allies were coming.

In my young life, we heard only that the Allies were the "good guys", and the Germans were "the bad guys". Thank you, Frau Schreiner, for a cup of afternoon tea, and a lesson in tolerance.

Hugs and Handshakes,
Brad in Texas

I remember being about five-years old when two people I have never seen before came to my house in Brooklyn, NY. I noticed there were numbers written on the arm of the man and was wondering why they were there, but never asked. That was my cousin Joe and his wife Alice who were sponsored by my parents so they could emigrate to the United States after World War II.

Joe would never speak of his experiences, and was vehemently opposed to anything to do with Germany. I was always curious about what his experience was, but never brought up the subject of his life in a concentration camp. Then about 40 years later at a Thanksgiving dinner in his home he began to tell me about one of his experiences, one that thoroughly amazed and impressed me.

He was in a concentration camp in Poland and in the winter of 1945 they emptied the camp and began to march the camp inhabitants to Germany. Joe knew that they were taking them to Germany to kill them all (before the Russians found them in the camp in Poland). One evening he saw an opportunity to escape and told his two best friends to run with him. They said, “The Germans will kill us.” Joe responded, “They are going to kill us anyway, so lets run.

They were able to elude the German guards and walked all night through the woods, wearing their concentration camp uniforms. After several hours they came to a barn, entered it, drank milk from a cow and went to sleep on the hay that was piled up. The next day the farmer came to the barn and found them sleeping there. He woke them and told them to leave or he would call the Gestapo. After the farmer left the barn my cousin’s two friends were getting ready to run out of the barn when Joe said something that was, to me, a reality I hope I never have to face.

“I am not leaving. I am warm in here, I have hay to sleep on, and I can get milk from the cow. If I am going to die, I am going to choose the place that I die.”

The farmer came in the next day and again threatened them with the Gestapo, but Joe still refused to leave. On the third day Joe and his friends left, the farmer never did call the Gestapo. Joe told me that the farmer’s son, who was Polish, had escaped from the German army and was hiding in the basement of his house, and the farmer never had any intention of calling the Gestapo, fearing they would find out about his son.

When Joe told me about his decision not to leave the barn after the first night, I thought about what a truly amazing man he is, more than anything else he wanted to exert some self-determined control over his life, even if that meant he would die.

Joe went on to have a very successful career as a businessman, and he and his wife raised three children. He became my second father when I was a child and I am very proud to know him.

Bernard Percy
www.bernardpercy.com

My name is Ofer and I want to talk about the holocaust.
The holocaust is not like a tsunami or a bomb, it much worst.
It’s the worst thing who happens to the Jewish people.
I wish that this terrible case was just a bad dream, but it wasn’t! It was the existence!

Six million Jewish are died because of one man, “Hitler”.
I can’t believe that one man almost destroyed my people.
The Jewish people were animals for this man, and very fast, most of the people in the world just do the same thing.
This generation who suffer so much is over, but this ugly time wouldn’t forget, never!

I want to say for these entire message readers will know how my family, my friends and my people are died and suffer in the holocaust.
Hitler was a murderer and all of the people who went with him were murderers too.

After this terrible case the most of the people learn their lesson, but still there are neo-Nazis in the world, and if they’re still thinking that we are inferiors they need to die!

The Jewish people suffer than every other people, because of our religion.
Hitler was a murderer, but he was a genius that all most make his dream to reality and killed all of my people…

Please, write me your feelings about the holocaust,

Ofer
Petach Tikva, Israel

The Holocaust was a terrible thing from the country that calls her people Pure-Blood. From that country many famous people came like big musicians like Beethoven, many geniuses like Einstein. And many other famous people. And yes, this country did the most terrible thing ever! This country named: Germany.

In this country there was a killer, but not a regular killer, this killer hated Jewish people, and just because he hated them he made a new empire... the Nazis Empire. They killed, tortured, and destroyed all that was connected to the Jewish people.

First they laughed at the Jewish people, and then they made them do things against their will. And then they began to kill and made them work 'very hard' and it did not matter what they thought... it’s called the Holocaust.

My family was in the Holocaust and some of them died there. I really don’t know how I feel about that. There are so many feelings involved in this subject... sadness, anger, hatefulness, longing. I don’t know what to say. I am just afraid... I am just afraid that this will happen again.

You know, when I was young I always said that I want to make the Holocaust again, but this time, against the Nazis. And then I stopped... I thought to my self, I don’t want to do this to the Nazis. I will not stoop so low to this situation.

And that is exactly the thing that makes us, the Jewish, different from the Nazis- We are human, and because of that we act like that, and we have self- respect and we never get so low. And now I’m talking on behalf of all Israel- We are Jewish, And we boast about it!

By Barak
Petach Tikva, Israel

The holocaust Memorial Day is very sad to me. The stories and the movies always make me cry, it is very emotional to me. When I hear the stories I can feel the terror and the horror of the Nazis.

All of those people that are saying that the holocaust never happened,
Those people deny the stories and the facts, the people that were saved and now they tell us all, so we won’t forget and not forgive,
To the people that knew but didn’t help, To the people that laughed when Jews were murdered, and to the Nazis.

My sisters went to Poland. When my biggest sister went to Poland I was a little girl so I didn’t hear the stories, but when my other sister went to Poland, it was a month ago and the night she came back, she my mother and I sat and heard the stories,
I cried all the time.
The stories were scary and terrible and I couldn’t stop the tears.
Every one needs to know about the holocaust.

Sapir
Petach Tikva, Israel

It is terrible to think about 6 million Jewish people who were murdered by the German-Nazis in Europe during the second world war, just because they were Jewish.

I believe that the Israel country is the right way to live for the Jews, being protected by them self.

Talia
Petach Tikva, Israel

Holocaust is one of the most terrible and shameful pages of history of mankind. I learnt about this when I was young. When I worked in other school, I invited a Holocaust survivor to talk to my young students. War is always horrible, but it is just unbelievable and shocking how people can pursue and kill people of other nation, even children! As the events of Second World War are going into the past, children know less and less about those events. It is not right. It is our history, our past. We can’t build the future without the past. We must know events of the past not to repeat them in the future.

But what we see now? Fascist and nationalist organizations exist in our time, with young people as their members. The graves of people who took part in that war are damaged by vandals sometimes. Not all people in our world can live secure, because of racial and national prejudice. We must teach tolerance to our children, we must explain that all people are equal, no matter what is their skin colour or nationality. Are we hopeless in that task?

Milana Zubritskaya
Anton
Novosibersk, Russia

I think that the Holocaust was horrible and
I think that we need to remember the holocaust.
I think that the new generation can change the world
I know that the neo-natzis are very bad even worse than the "old" natzis.
in conclusion:
the new genaration should try to cange the world and depress the neo-natzies

Shay
Petach Tikva, Israel

The Holocaust is a terrible thing. 6 million Jewish murdered after difficlt tortures.
The Nazis abused the Jewish people. They didn’t have any logical reason for that.
Everything happen because of the Germen’s hate to the Jewish.
Hitler incite the Germans against the Jewish. The German said that the Jewish are thieves and rapists.
I could not believe that people can be so mean and heartless.

Naama
Petach Tikva, Israel

The holocaust memorial day is a very hard day for me.
It is the day when we remember the 6 million souls that are gone and and still in our hearts.

From the time I was a little girl, I knew the stories of my family that was in Russia this time.
My grandmother, that was about 4-5 years old when the war started and the holocaust began to get worse. She told me that her city, Saint - Petersburg was under blockade and that she remembered how her mother used to look for every peace of bread or other food because there was no food in the house. They used to eat soup made of glue that was cooked with belts.
Also She told what a fright it was in the family because her brother was in the Russian Army and he could die at every second.
The most hard story that I heard from my grandmother is that her grandmother was killed by the Nazis in a terrible way. The Germans forced hundreds of Jews to dig pits and finally they pushed the Jews into the pits that they dug, covered them with mud and buried them alive.
I was shocked when I heard this.
I Know that we will never forget it and we will never forgive.

Avital
Petach Tikva, Israel

I still don't understand why they did it. Always, when I ask someone, he always tell me that they thought they are better than everyone, but I still don't understand. How, just in a moment, someone thought he is better than everyone. How, when he told it to his people, everyone thought he is right. How, just in a moment, they went after him. How no one tried to stop him.
I feel very sad because of the holocaust all the time. I feel very sad about the people which didn't surrender. My grandfather was a survivor. He was very sick, and his brothers were with him and took care of him. They dug a tunnel for him and he went in the tunnel to out of the concentration camp. A year after I born, He died because of his disease.

Ohad
Petach Tikva, Israel

Only if I could see it in my eyes I could understand and I cant.
Some people try to deny. no one can, there is too much proof.
How can a man take someone and kill him for his fun?...
How would you feel if I'd tell you that someone is going to come to your street and going to kill you for no reason? I feel shock in my body Everytime I hear these stories. When I will be 10th grade I will go with my class to Poland. Everybody does that.
and to think it all started from one man. One man that told stories, honorable stories about Jews. They told they were drinking babies blood instead of wine on Passover.
and they started on making laws, small ones like: no jews can work here.
no jews can have German friends. and It started to be bad.
Even if a man had a grandfather that married a Jew and was German. they killed him, and they did the same with any Jew and German merried they found. It's hard to understand but it did happende.
Some children are laughing when these stories are told they laugh from embarrassment. I heard a lot of stories about the holocaust once I've heard that they ate grass.
My grandfather was involved with the holocaust,nobody in German(Jews) believed that's what was going to happe. That's why they didn't run, but my grandfather knew. His dad had a big warehouse that sucseeded before it all started and the germans came and burned the whole place, once he got in to the geto he knew that they were going to kill them and he ran to the woods, he became a partizan, they hunted and ate fruits. he survived the holocaust. He didn't have much to tell because he ran before they started killing and I thank God he survived, that's how my mother was created. I knew him when I was a little I have memories from him but he died when I was 3-4 years old.
Only if other people would belive and run like my grandfather there would have been a lot of survivors.
I hope this terrible thing will never happen again.

Yarin
Petach Tikva, Israel

In Holocaust every Jew in the world feel's sad.
I don't know why Hitler so hate Jewish but I know that there was no justified reason.
The Germans put the Jewish people in ghettos, work camps and extermination camp.
They did many terrible things to the Jewish people:
They burn them when they were still live.
They put their gold tooth into a bath full of acid and took the gold to make jewels!
In the work camps they order the Jewish people to dig pits and then they push them into the pits when they were still live.
They took the Jewish people to take a shower and then a gas exported from the tubes and killed them!
There are more many things but these are the things that I remember.

Or
Petach Tikva, Israel

I cant understand why someone would do such a horrible thing to anyone like the Nazis did to the Jewish people.
I cant see why.
This is unacceptable by the human logic.
I dont know who.
So many people were involved.
I ask how?
Why didnt we fight.
What?
6,000,000 inocent lives were taken for no reason.

Jonathan
Petach Tikva, Israel

The holocaust Memorial Day is very sad to me. The stories and the movies always make me cry, it is very emotional to me. When I hear the stories I can feel the terror and the horror of the Nazis.

Sapir
Petach Tikva, Israel

I think that the holocaust is terrible.
It's terrible that the Natzis killed 6,000,000 Jewish people.
It is terrible

Itay
Petach Tikva, Israel

My name is Chen and I am a Jewish person from Petach Tikva, Israel.
Evary year I feel again very sad some days before the Holocaust day. I am very sorry because all the people that died in the Holocaust. 6,000,000 of Jewish people deid in the holocaust! I can not understand why Hitler was so bad to the Jewish people. Even though we are not Gernans we are still human beings. Today, there are many Anti Semites around the world.
How do you feel about the Holocaust?
Write me about that.

Chen
Petach Tikva, Israel

This week is the saddest week in the year.
I feel very sad about this day every year again.
Because this week is the Holocaust Memorial day.
That is very sad day because 6 million Jewish people died.
I think that it was very cruel from the Natzis to do the things that they do to the Jewish people.
On this day we need to think about this because it was a disaster.
The world was very shocked from that war and from the Natzis.
I think we need to remember that war and learn our lesson from it.
And we need to remember and don’t forget the 6 million Jewish people that died in the Holocaust.

Denis
Petach Tikva, Israel

We are sad when we think about the Holocaust.
In the Holocaust, millions of people died, and it was for nothing.
We are sorry about that.

Hen and Dana

I think you are very wrong. Now, there are al lot of countries that like us and help us, like the Americans. They don't hate us at all, and even like us. You see, the generation of the Nazis is almost over, and I think we don't have to hate the Germans all of our life. We should remember the Holocaust, this is very important, but we shouldn't hate them. They are sorry, I think. Yes, I am almost sure. At least part of them. I hope you won't keep thinking that the nations in the world hate us Jews, because they dont. Not all of them.

Love,
Noa
Petach Tikva, Israel

The Holocaust was terrible. The Nazis hated the Jews, that did not do anything wrong.
Every year we remember the Jews that were killed in the Holocaust, on the Holocaust Memorial Day. We can hear a siren at 20:00 o’clock on the day before and at 10:00 o’clock in the Holocaust Memorial Day. We stand at attention and think about the Jews that were killed.

by Guy
Petach Tikva, Israel

My name is Ori and I want to tell you the most terrible story you ever
heard, our teacher, Marsha, told us the story about her mother and
that was a continuation of the story we heard and hear about the
HOLOCAUST.
I felt very sad about the story of Marsha because my grandpa's family was there.
There were 6,000,000 Jewish people killed just because of the religion.
Marsha's story is a stong and powerful one about a wonderful mother that was a Holocaust survivor, Sonia Frenkel, may she rest in peace.

by Ori
Petach Tikva, Israel

Holocaust is very disappointing event. We learned texts about it in English lessons last month. We saw photos which our teacher prepared for us. We all cried because we felt pain and hopeless anger. All these who killed Jews were people, with head, 2 arms and legs; they spoke like all people do. But they behaved like animals. Even worse than animals. Animals kill only when they are hungry or defend their life, it is law of nature. They never kill for crazy idea, for fun, for nothing. I’m very sorry that some fascists, who took part in killing Jewish people, escaped punishment for their actions. I can’t understand how they can sleep and live.
We should never forget Holocaust victims. They appeal to us not to let to repeat the past.

Veronica, Alexey
Novosibersk, Russia

This topic is very important to write about. We all must know and remember about sad events in our history. I felt big pain when I read figures of killed and saw horrible photos. All people are born to be equal. Nobody has right to decide that their nation is superior and better than others. People who were killed, they all wanted to live, to raise their children, to enjoy life! How many hopes were destroyed only because thought that they were super nation! How many talents were lost forever! Who knows how many scientists, writers, composers were lost for society forever? Maybe, that little boy who we saw on a photo, would become a talented doctor and find a remedy from cancer or AIDS? Or maybe, he would become a talented politician?
Even these people who survived camps or had to hide from persecution, couldn’t have normal life after war finished. Years of hunger and terrible treatment made them ill people for the whole life.

Anna, Lena
Novosibersk, Russia

We want to express our boiling anger towards people who did such terrible things! Why? Who gave the right? The idea of super nation is very wrong. All people are same. People of all colours, appearance, able and disable, have right to live. We must live in peace with all nations. It is very sad that anti-semitism still exists in the world. It is not necessary killing of Jews, but still… Sometimes not very good attitude can spoil somebody’s life. And in several countries people suffer from nationalists conflicts.

Jana, Eugene
Novosibersk, Russia

On Monday will be 60 anniversary of end of war. This will be largely celebrated in our country. We must remember all people who gave their life to win victory above fascism. We must also remember all people who died in this war. We know that fascists even had plan how many people to kill in every country with which they had war. Hearing about Holocaust is very horrible and sad. At first sight you can’t believe that all such things really happened. But documents, photos, films and stories of survivors tell about it and you understand: yes, it happened! Civilized people, German commanders gave such orders to kill as more as possible. It is surprising. Most of them of course had mothers, sisters, wives, children. Why were they so cruel to other people? Why they couldn’t imagine how their relatives could feel in such situation? Victims are always living reminder for us to build better world and not repeat bad history. If we don’t do it, we will betray the memory of these people.

Olga, Dima
Novosibersk, Russia

We all remeber it! We will never forget!
6,000,000 Jewish died because they were Jewish.
This is not right, this is a huge disaster.
I am very sad. It is very hard for me.
My big sister, Nofar, visited in Poland this year.
My father visited in Poland too.
They saw the camps.
They came back very sad.
This is hard to think about it, but we have to!
We have to remember it !
We will never forgive!
We need to tell about the Holocaust!
All the world needs to know about it!
Everybody needs to remember it!

Nitzan
Petach Tikva, Israel

This massacre, called The Holocaust, was made by hundreds of Germans Nazis. They murdered six milion Jews (the number of the Jews that live today in Israel) in horrible ways: They tortured them for the fun of seeing them suffer, and make them crossing the line between life and death.
They burn the Jews’ stores, synagogues and houses (and much more).
The Nazis even employed Jews in their houses for humiliating jobs and murdered them even for their joy (as horrible as it sounds).

And yet, if I’ll see a neo-Nazi walk in the street, I won’t kill him. Why? Because as much as I hate what they did, I’m not going to behave as unhuman as the Nazis were, and I won’t lower myself down to their level.

Alon 6th grade
Petach Tikva, Israel

The Holocaust is one of the worst things that ever happened to the Jewish people, if not the worst. Our number of people is been lost a half. Six million people died in the Holocaust. There were the partizans too, who fought the Nazis and helped to free the Jewish people.

Ohad and Irad
Petach Tikva, Israel

Holocaust day.

I think that Hitler was a ugly man because he killed Jews only because
he hated them!!!
My teacher Miri tallked to my class (in English) about her Mom
and we listened to her Mom on the radiotalk about her experience.
(She was on a recorder)

What did your teacher tallk to your class about on Holocaust day?

Sahar
Feinstein Jr High
Petach Tikva, Israel

On Monday Victory Day is celebrated in Russia. It is 60 years since war finished. It will be happy and sad day. Happy, because victory was achieved and sad, because our country lost over 50 million people in that war and many died in post war period from wounds and illnesses.

Last week our teacher organized action. We came to home to 5 war veterans with presents. They told us their stories and we wrote them with their permissions. In summer we will translate stories and show them to the all world. My teacher told us: "You can learn about names of battles from history books. You can read discussions of scientists in newspapers now about war and read different opinions. But you can know truth only from people who took part themselves. The youngest are about 80 now and soon there will be nobody to speak with you"

It is true fact. It was a tradition of war veterans to go to street with ordens and medals a week or 2 before Victory day. Only last year I saw them. But I haven't met nobody yet this year.

We must remember the fame of our country and tell our children and grandchildren!

Anton
Novosibersk, Russia

Today we had concert dedicated to great victory over fascism. Two veterans were invited and they spoke speeches. We must always remember about war and give much attention to people who won the victory, because they did it for us, future generations.

Alla
Novosibersk, Russia

On 21 June, 1941, German fascists invaded our country, at 4 am, without declaring of war. Too many people were killed during first days, because nobody expected.
It is 4 days from Moscow to Berlin by train, 4 hours by plane and 4 long years of walking. It is 4 years that our country made this way to win victory.

Novosibersk, Russia

Millions of people died in our country and many others during second World War. War effected every family. Every family has someone who died. It is very horrible and sad.

Denis
Novosibersk, Russia

Despite good trained army, good equipment, many tanks, planes, fascists failed to take our country. Russia didn't expect invasion, people were not preparing for war. But simple people, Russian soldiers didn't let enemy enjoy their victory. The main slogan of war time was: "Everything for front, everything for victory!" New factories were built in short time, people worked days and nights to make victory as soon as possible. Russia survived unexpected attack and won!

Novosibersk, Russia

Visiting veteran told us today: "You must always remember. The very day people forget about the world war, it will happen again!"
We promise not to forget!

Anna
Novosibersk, Russia

Today the kids should know for fear caused by the evil sickness and terror during the World War Two. The victims of Holocaust are still weeping in the shadow of our everyday living. How to forget and ignore all those mothers and fathers who had been separated from their children and sent to death? How to forget all those mothers holding their heads in their hands, horrfied and humiliated in their esential role: to keep their children with them?

Their hearts were beating and praying while their own children were crying desperately calling mothers and fathers to help them.

Today, the children want to live, not to be melt away. Today, all children have the right to have a better world! The adults are responsible to build such a world.

Rozalija
IGK, Slavonski Brod, Croatia

It's not fair like my cusin he's african american and his 3rd grade teacher was mean to him just because he was african american .So my aunt went up to the school like 10 times then finally my dad went and talked to the Principal and that 3rd grade teacher got yelled at bye the Principal I just thought ow my gosh . it is 2005 people shouldent act that way i mean he is just a little kid he cant help it if he's african american I mean so what hes diffreant
_________________
Elliot Elementary School- Texas USA

Just thinking about Holocaust makes me wonder. What was he thinking I mean he made everyone wonder if they could trust anyone in this world, a holocaust victim could be right next to you. Those poor lonely people separated from there family who did nothing are dead or lost. Moms, Dads, and kids the children of God are dead because of one person named Hitler. No one in this world deserved to die but him.

Paige
Texas

I hope that all you kids and adults read this and understand. Many years ago the holocaust took over and many died of suffrage or they were killed. Kids were taken away from there parents. This can always again so I hope that you understand and change the world just one little mistake can affect you and everyone else around you. If you want to stay and be a happy family you need to make a good choice. You can make the wrong choice or you can make the right choice its all up to you. Lets all hope that you change the world by making the right choice because remember one little mistake can change your life.

Cynthia
At Irving I.s.d
Sally B Elliott

My teacher told us about Holocaust today. She showed us photos of concentration camps. We visited Marsha's Holocaust site, too. I didn't know much about it. Now, I know. I will learn more. The world must be united against genocide.
Ivana, IGK, Slav.Brod, Croatia

I think what the holocaust did was wrong. Because they had no right of doing it. Killing six millon people is a lot. They hurt millions of people and millions of people's feelings. Because they killed people that other people cared about. Hitler was just a mad man just because he hated Jews. He tortured them bad.
_________________
Elliot Elementary School- Texas -USA

How could the Germans be so rude to the Jewish I think they did that because they got treated normal,but the Germans think that they are WAY different from the others.Our class is reading a book "Number The Stars"about World War ll.Annmarie Johensen is trying to help her friend Ellen Rosen and her mom and dad from being captured, or being killed.I know that the Germans were very dumb during that time The question that I have is why did they do that to the Jewish people?
Elliot Elementary School Texas

Why would anyone do this It was the dumbest thing anyonecould do!!!I dont get why the Germans would kill perfectly innocent people!!!!!!!It is the most unfair thing i have ever heard of.I get goosebumps just thinking of it.It wasnt fair at all.
Elliot Elementary School

Why did they do this to them!? I'm reading number the stars which is really good but I still wonder why did ?It's not fair I know lifes not fair but to just jews again I ask why?!I'm glad that it didn't happen to me but I still don't like that it even happened.

Noa_HC

Sincere Greetings!!!
I want to speak about the Holocaust memorial day and I have some things to say you. I think murdering someone because of one reason (to be a Jew) is very meaningless and very very bad.

I saw your Holocaust unit which has much informations.meanwhile,? said to myself that murders of 6 millions of jews aren't forgotten by people who live around the world and the Jewish nation and other nations must remember it and they must do something about it. For example:they can visit the Jewish government .and our prime mininter named R.Tayyip Erdo?an visited your prime minister a few days ago. and he spoke about connections Turks between Jews (people who live in ?srael).

I saw poems which are written by students of yours and another and I decided to write a poem about the Holocaust for nation of Jews. I hope you will love it and you can show it to your friends. Holocaust of Jews is very awful as to humanity...

Over the world, it is known by people and they think about it. Why??...
Leaders of Jews could do nothing for their people...
Multitudes of other strangers always were carrying on...
Horrible event this is to Jews..
Murderers were inhuman; they are beasts...
Killing the Jews or someone was very meaningless...
Inhuman thing is murdering humans, I know...
Silencing of Jews; they were very innocent...

The poem is that.I wrote it to you but it isn't good enough to you see it.but although I wrote it very badly, it can be poem.. but there is a wrong thing, it is that I couldn't say your things to my teacher. because the school isn't open and the teacher does not come school to teach something to students so I am very sorry. forgive me...he is on his holiday now. Anyways,I am looking forward to your messages..best Wishes..Love to you...

A student named Mehmet Aslan
Turkey

If history is like a book, I think the Holocaust is one of the darkest pages of our history. It's the tragedy of humankind. It's antihuman. In China, we have an adage: Forgetting the history means to give it sanction. I think every one who has a conscience would never forget this. I believe most people will envisage the Holocaust, and take warning to all the different kinds of warmonger. I believe we can finally build the beautiful, peaceful world.

All my best wishes for you!
Stephanie .Tianhui. Y. China

Why do some people hurt each other.
Here will be always a man who will not admit that everybody is similar and they will always impose one's will but if a man is different that doesn't give a reason that you can hurt him. It's horrible that humans kill each other because of the differences. Every man is similar even if he is black, white, short, tall, Jew or Christian. Humans who are blind follow their leader who promisees the untrue victory. They kill by order. In my opinion nobody deserves death because of the differences. A man is crazy if he takes part in these murders.

Rihards S. 12 years old
Latvia.

That is something crazy! To kill Jewish people only because they're MAYBE different ! But NO! We all people are the some!

Valentina B. 13 years old
Latvia

I think it is bad to kill somebody. All peoples are relatives because the humanity have one beginning. What you will say if somebody kills you or will push you back ? Everybody wants to live in LOVE!
Galina Z.. 13 year
Latvia

4th July in my country is marked as the Jewish peoples Genocide Day. Near houses peoples hang morning flags.
I think, it is terrible. Killing people is a crime. But whoever kills, they don't care, I think! They can kill children! They kill parents ,relatives and friends! It is heartless and cruel!
Liene M.. 12 years
Latvia

Hi I feel sorry for all the Jews and what they went through because of their belief.I think any body's religon is right because they beleive it.I can not stand racist people.I can't evan stay around them.Thats what I think.Other people that think racism is right is wrong.We are all equal.The color of your skin does not make you diffrent its what is in the inside.

Dylan
Elliot Elementary School- Texas USA

After I wrote to you yesterday I was readyung the day's lesson. Lo and behold was our Weekly Reader re: Eyewitness to History - all essays and articles written by 4th and 5th graders about amongst other things the Holocaust. So we did get an excellent discussion going and I wanted to share the website with you- www.weeklyreader.com.
Also, one of my students Jada read The Story of Anne Frank and shared with the class. I asked her to share with you so it too can be added to the site. It is amazing how things just fall into place sometimes - thats one of the things I love about teaching.

So here is Jada.
Hi my name is Jada.I read a book called The Diary of Anne Frank. It was very sad how Jewish people were treated.I think Hitler was a very mean ,
disgusting person. I think he hurt a lot of people. And just think why were so many innocent people hurt? And Anne Frank was very brave. Well nice speaking to you, bye.

I just read peoples thoughts in "We will never forget".
I find no words to say about how delicate and how worthy is Human life.
and how inconceivable cruel humans can be .....!?
I am with you in these days!
You are not alone....
I think every nation here on Earth have survive in suffering.
Here in Latvia too ... every family here have lost some lovable thanks Hitler or Stalin and the only cause was - because they are Latvian ....
My grandmother survive in Stalin concentration camp, but grandfather died.....

I hope, I HOPE our children's will be more intelligent and bright and future World come full with LOVE !

Tanya Gvozdeva
Riga, Latvia

We learned about the Holocaust in January, during our Holocaust Memorial Day. We are now learning about Windrush - the Carribbean immigration into Britain that took place in 1948. We have learned that the racism that caused such suffering during the Holocaust, continued in Britain after the war. We are struggling to understand how the British people could rightly support the war against Hitler, but then be racist towards the West Indians who came to help rebuild Britain after the war. We are relating the racism of the past to racism today and we agree on one thing. Differences should be celebrated.

The children in my class are going to add their opinions to this discussion topic.

This is the story of Anna, grandmother of Dominic and Lawrence from Brington.

Anna lived in Hungary and was kidnapped. She was sent to a labour camp at the age of 16. When she entered the camp, she weighed a healthy weight. She was forced to work all day, making the materials needed for building. She was fed porridge-like food and when she left the camp, aged 21, she weighed a ridiculously low weight. Anna returned to Hungary looking for her lost family and found a brother, Gregor. Anna eventually married and then moved to London,England. She had 5 daughters and 1 son. She died in England in 2004, aged 77, having lived a happy life with her family.

I think it's horrible that people are treated differently because they are from foreign countries. I have some Hungarian blood in me and so does my Mum. Should we be treated differently because of this?
Vicki Brington UK

Vicki and class from Brington School UK

We don't like Hitler and Himler because they killed many Jews and we are Jews.

We don't forget the dead men in the war.

We don't like Nazis because they killed six million men Jews. And we are Jews.

Many men were killed in the World War 2.

In the war, over a 11,000,000 people died.

There are many songs, games, movies… about World War 2.

Or and Ofir
Petach Tikva, Israel

We think that Hitler was a very mean man, because, he killed many Jewish people.

He separated families! And today we have a state!

Meitar and Noa
Petach Tikva, Israel

The Holocaust was terrible.

We think that the Holocaust and Hitler made our people sad.

All the humans that were in Holocaust are very poor.

A lot of people lost their lives and family.

Hitler was very mean.

All the Jews that were in the Holocaust thought they would die and the most died.

We wish that the Holocaust never happened.

Omer N & Doron M
Petach Tikva, Israel

The children are poor.

The Nazis were killing Jews.

Hitler was mean.

The Nazism took the Jews.

We feel bad for the Jews.

Aviv, Elad and Gal
Petach Tikva, Israel

The Natzis were very mean.They killed

many Jews.

The Holocaust was in the word war two.

The Jews were poor.

Hitier was a leader of the Nazis.

Holocaust day is a sad day.

Jania 4th graders
Petach Tikva, Israel

I think that Hitler was a bad man because he killed many Jews and the Jews didn’t do anything. He thought that Jews must be killed! Hitler was wrong !!!

Marina 4th grade
Petach Tikva, Israel

The Holocaust day is a very sad day.

In the Holocaust the Natzis killed the Jews.

The Natzis were very mean.

The Natzis sent the Jews in the trains to the ghetto...

The Jews were very poor.

Hitler was the leader of the Natzis.

The Holocaust was in world war two.

Inbal, Ayelet and Kamah

1. The Holocaust is very bad, because many Jews were killed in the camps.

2. In the world, 6,000,000 Jews were killed.

3. The Natzis behaveed towards the Jews in a terrible way.

4. In the world, 50,000,000 men were killed.

5. In the war of the world two, the Germans and Hitler went crazy.

6.On Holocaust day, we remember the people that were killed in the Holocaust.

Elad Marcus & Ron Levy
Petach Tikva, Israel

I feel the same as you (I don't have any sister's ) but people are ignorant to ignore something that big I mean really I'm glad we have this discussion board. The things that people do. This is all I have to say It's shocking and stupid.

Nicholas
Elliot Elementary School- Texas USA

Everybody is a human being and has 2 hands 2 feet 1 head a stomach 5 fingers in each hand 5 toes on each feet. Having another skin color is fine. Nobody picks their color they are that color for one reason. God created them like that for something. Being different is fine. It doesn't matter what is outside, it is what is inside that matters.

Sincerely,
Denisse H
Elliot Elementary School- Texas- USA

Thank you for sending me the information . The Holocaust unit is excellent. It is very difficult for me to explain the sadness that I felt as I read the various stories and saw the pictures of that time in history. I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of your schools ceremony. That must have been a very touching time for you and your students.

This year we read a story called "From Anna". It is about a family that fled to Canada in order to escape the persecution in Germany. My students wanted me to let you know that we are thinking of you and join you in remembering what happened so that it will never happen again.

Glen Jede
Calvin Christian School, Winnipeg, Canada

Both of my grandmas and many of my second and third cousins had to emigrate from Europe because of the hate that was felt towards them. There were many situations where people I know almost died, and I feel nothing but hatred when I think of the people that killed eight million people-- not only Jews, but homosexuals, blacks, disabled people, and gypsies. How they thought that that was the right thing to do I will never know. I like that Global Dreamers made a memorial site to remember the Holocaust.

Zettie, Julian Middle School, Oak Park, Illinois USA

My name is Mercy.
I go to Kisumu High school in Kenya. I am an Orphan. My parents are dead as a result of AIDS.

But nothing has ever moved me so much as the death of my Mother and that true film "Escape from Sabibour" Okay if you have not watched it, it was about the holocaust. It showed how the Jews were put in concentration camps. The mistreatment and inhuman punishments that were done to them at the hands of the Nazi. I cried. I still cry and ask,Why do human beings do that to other humans?

Mercy, Kisumu Day High School, Kenya, Africa