Report on Nazi Atrocities
| Artefact: | Report on Nazi Atrocities |
|---|---|
| Theme: | The Holocaust by Bullets |
| Grade Level: | Senior (10-12) |
Suggested time: 15-20 minutes
Grades: 10+
| Content warning: The following primary source includes graphic violence and highly disturbing content. We encourage students to monitor their reactions, take breaks as needed and approach a teacher with questions as they arise. |
BEFORE YOU BEGIN: Read The Holocaust by Bullets, look at the Report of Pichos Zozulya and read the Pages 1 and 2 of the translation.
Translation of Pages 1 & 2:
|
At the grave of relatives and friends. More than five thousand people of the local population, mainly old people, women and small children, were brutally tortured and exterminated by the Nazis. They were buried in pits on the territory of our hometown, Chudnov. From eyewitness accounts, I learned that the first victim was the spiritual rabbi, 77-year-old Joseph Yakovlevich Mosuk. This happened on September 8, 1941. At first, they mocked this old man: they ordered him to put on his talis and tefillin, then they forced two old women to take him by the arms and lead him with candles in their hands through the streets to the park, accompanied by the rubber whip of a German executioner. The two old women were forced to sing an obscene song. After all the mockery, the two old women and Rabbi Joseph were killed in full view of the entire population. They were buried in one of the pits, and a wooden cross was erected over this pit. One girl dared to clandestinely remove this cross, and she was immediately killed. |
Answer the following questions:
- Write down two things you find most significant in this excerpt from Pichos' report.
- From whose point of view is this report written?
- Whose voices or perspectives are missing from this report?
- What adjectives would you use to describe the Nazis’ conduct toward Rabbi Joseph and the two elderly Jewish women?
- What do you think was the Nazis’ objective in treating the rabbi and old women in this manner? What evidence leads you to this conclusion?
- What questions do you have after reading this excerpt?
- Pichos wrote this report for the benefit of his children and grandchildren (some of whom were not yet born). Why do you think he wrote the report with them in mind?
Extension Question:
Considering the extreme challenges, it was remarkably common for Jewish communities in the ghettos, and even in the camps, to secretly record the events of the Holocaust as they were happening. Archives were buried in ghettos, artwork and writings were hidden in the cracks of barrack walls, and clandestine photographs were smuggled out of ghettos. Do you view Pichos’ report as part of this phenomenon? Explain why or why not.