Holocaust
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The Malmédy Massacre: A Tragedy of War and the Story of Survival The Malmédy Massacre, which occurred during the Battle of the Bulge on December 17, 1944, stands as one of the most heinous war crimes committed by German forces during World War II. This event, marked by the ruthless execution of unarmed American prisoners…
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Like in Germany, the Holocaust in the Netherlands didn’t start with the mass murder of Jews—it was a gradual process. It started with a number of measures to initially humiliate the Dutch Jews. Summer 1942SD agents check the identity cards of Jewish citizens on the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, in Amsterdam. At the beginning of January 1941,…
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The above photograph is a rail track I pass over nearly every day. Yesterday, when I passed it, I had to think of all those who went on train journeys and never returned. The trains that travel over this rail track are comfortable, They have soft seats you can sit on, and some even have…
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The Ritchie Boys were a group of military intelligence officers and enlisted men of World War II trained at Camp Ritchie in Maryland, USA. Many of them were Jewish refugees who had fled Nazi Germany and other Axis countries. They were primarily recruited from immigrant communities in the United States, particularly those who spoke German,…
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I watched ‘Charité at War’ on Netflix the last few nights. Although I felt that one or two portrayals gave a bit too much credit to some characters, overall, I believe it was a good reflection of the situation in the hospital during the last years of the war. The show takes place in 1943…
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The SS established the Neuengamme concentration camp on December 13, 1938.It would become the biggest concentration camp in Northwest Germany.In excess of 100,000 inmates would come through Neuengamme and its sub camps. The death toll totaled approximately 42,900: about 14,000 in the main camp, 12,800 in the subcamps, and 16,100 during the death marches. These…
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Your life was ended, and your voice was taken. But today, I am your voice. I cannot bring you back to life. I can speak for you. Your name will not be forgotten, and your voice will be heard. Jacques Kligman, age 12, from Paris, France, was deported to Auschwitz on convoy 23 and then…
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And suddenly, they were gone. They were not ill. They didn’t read different books. They didn’t do different mathematics. They didn’t learn different geography or biology. Suddenly, they were—just gone. It started with the yellow stars. That singled them out as being different, but how could they be? They looked the same. They spoke the…
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During the Holocaust, Jewish prisoners in the Westerbork Transit Camp in the Netherlands observed Hanukkah under harrowing circumstances. Despite the dire conditions, they sought to maintain their cultural and religious traditions as an act of resistance and hope. In Westerbork, Hanukkah celebrations were modest and often conducted in secret. Prisoners used makeshift menorahs crafted from…
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I know that in the current political environment, there is a popular belief among some that the name Israel did not exist until 1948. Ironically, some of these same people will be celebrating the birth of a Jewish man, born in Bethlehem, a city in Israel, more than 2000 years ago. I can appreciate that…
History of Sorts 