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Inhumanity In An
Industrialized Society
TOYOTA
mazoa
HYIUTIDRI
SUZUKI
KATHRYN LINDSEY
Special to The Jewish News
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_A
When the names Adolf Hitler, Paul
Josef Goebbels, Adolf Eichmann,
Josef Mengele and Heinrich
Himmler are mentioned, immediate-
ly the Holocaust, genocide, hatred
and brutal inhumanity come directly
to mind.
These men were the leaders of the
Nazis, the ringleaders of the terrible
events that caused the murder of six mil-
lion Jews. What were the conditions
that allowed people like these men to
come to power and rule for so long
without consequence? The study of the
Holocaust is relevant to this modern
society, and it is imperative that the rea-
sons and the conditions that allowed it
to occur are fully understood so that the
world may begin to prevent such acts of
inhumanity from occurring.
Comprehension of the conditions in
Germany during the 1930s and the
1940s, and the morale of the country
during that time, are necessary to under-
stand the reasons for the Holocaust.
Germany's defeat in World War I, the
conditions of the Treaty of Versailles, a
large imposed national debt, loss of land
to neighboring countries and economic
depression — all were factors that affect-
ed the German people. Morale was very
low. The people were hungry, poor and
frustrated; the entire country was bat-
tered, broken, angry and even violent.
With the new threat of communism in
Europe, the people needed a leader.
Hitler came to power and formed a fas-
cist, almost dictatorial, government that
provided employment and eliminated
the threat of communism.
Instead of leading the country out of
the troubled times, Hitler turned to
blaming certain people for the country's
hardships. Using the anti-Semitic atti-
tude that had developed over hundreds
of years and caused persecution of the n
Jews because of their religion, he blamed: \
the Jewish Germans. Hider's blame of
the German Jews expanded to include
all European Jews. Because of the conch-
don of the country and the low morale
of the people, Hitler was able to manip-
ulate German opinion and turn geno-
cide into a legal, socially acceptable act.
The Jews, who were German and
European citizens but who were not the
dominant religion, were in the same
poor condition and did not have the
resources to defend themselves. More
importantly, the world powers that did
have the resources to defend the Jews
chose not to. The Allied Powers — the
United States, Great Britain, France and
the Soviet Union — had the strength,
influence and resources to end the
Holocaust and save lives but did not
intervene. Because the Jews were not a
Essay Contest Winners Ndmed
CHAIM (Children of Holocaust-
survivors Association In Michigan)
has announced winners of its 14th
annual Holocaust essay competition.
Participants addressed "What made
it possible for the Holocaust to occur
and why is the study of the Holocaust
relevant to students today?"
Kathryn Lindsey of Williamston
High School took first place and
received $100. Other top winners
were: second place, $50, to Samdeep
Mouli of Detroit Country Day
School in Beverly Hills, and third
place, $25, to Kortney Whitmeyer,
Williamston High School.
Honorable mentions went to:
Bruce Cahnnelle, Ferndale High
School; Kate Simon, Williamston
High School, and Kristina Rudd
and Taylor Morgan, both of Ann
Arbor Pioneer High School. The
other participants earned engraved
certificates.
Debra Feldman chaired the con-
test. Judges were Eva. Hamburger,
Barbara Cohen, Allene Koby, Mary
Levin, Debra Feldman and Dr.
Sidney Bolkosky.
Kathryn Lindsey will read her
winning essay, "Inhumanity In An'Th
Industrialized Society," before
Michigan Gov. John Engler and
state legislators during Yom
HaShoah commemoration cere-
monies 11 a.m. Thursday, April
22, at the capital Rotunda in
Lansing. LI