Holocaust project: Jews and Aryans

[spacemountain]

In Lit we are doing a unit on the Holocaust. We are reading books and plays, watching movies, etc. But right now we are doing a very interesting and controversial project. Half of the class are Aryans (the preferred race, pure-blooded) and half are Jews. I was chosen to be an Aryan. We (aryans) sit in the front of the class, stand in the front of the line, get called on first, and get special treatment (like candy, etc.) The Jews carry around ID cards (if they don't have them they get in trouble) and wear the star of david. we are not allowed to talk to the jews and hang out with them. this is hard for me because a good friend of mine was chosen to be a jew. Before this I had just thought about how lfe would be for the jews, never the aryans. But now I see that while they get special privliges and are treated better, it's not all easy. a lot of them were separated from friends and they had to watch all the jews go through this. what are your thoughts and opinions about this project, or just the topic in general? i think this is a great area for some good discussion.

 

[disneyangel7488]

I remember in 8th grade we also did a unit on the Holocaust in my English class. We read a play that was about a teacher who did sort of the same thing you're doing. I forget what the play was called, but in it, the teacher was like the dictator, teaching the students a certain wave for their goup, etc. The students in the school had a choice on whether to join thuis "group" or not, and if they were in the group, the had to wear a certain arm band. It turned out to be very controversial. The teacher was trying to teach his students on what it was like for the Aryans, just innocently falling under a dictatorship like that.

I actually think it's a good idea what your class is doing. It's showing yous what it was really like to live in Germany during that awful time, rather then telling you.

 

[Wick]

im not hating on yur class, but it sounds like a dumb lesson.

i mean, can you really compare the horrors of the holocaust to sitting in the back of class or waiting on the back line for lunch?
come on..

its better off just to teach the facts

 

[spacemountain]

true but it gives us a fraction of an idea of how horrible it was- what we have to go through is no where near what they did but it can give us an idea of the discrimination and hatred they faced- and we can see what life was like for the aryans. while it's great to get to hang out outside or eat candy or chips or gets extra credit while the others do work i really feel bad for them. plus now i know what it was like for them to be separated from friends. i know it doesn't compare to what they had to go through in any way but it's a lesson in compassion as well as about the holocaust. and experiance is the best teacher. i know more than i ever would by just sitting and learning facts from a text book.