"Night" Blog

2/25/16
"Night"  
Prompts: How do Elie's experiences during the Holocaust changed him as a person?


          During the Holocaust, Elie changed in many ways. Physically, emotionally, and mentally. He changed physically by losing weight. This happened to all of the people that were put in the camps. They were given very little to eat. They lost weight and energy at a shocking pace. Thus resulting in not being able to continue on with their life because their basic needs are not met. Elie's father and Elie were both starving. When they ran from Aushwitz to Gleiwitz they barely made it. They almost collapsed. If they did they might of gotten shot or trampled. That could of been the end of him and his father. I guess you could say they changed from taking things for granted to persevere and not stop until they get something.

          Another way he changed was mentally. Before he was put in a concentration camps he was very pious. He devoted his whole life to God. When him and his father were put in the camps he began to push away God. Things got worse and he blamed God for them. He started to think bad thoughts about God like why should I praise him if he does nothing at the sight of many people dying. For example, when the child gets hanged he began somebody said where is God. He said he was hanging from the gallows. This is one a way he changed.

          The last way that he changed was emotionally. During the time he was in the camps he began to think of his father as a burden. He began to think all of these things. He knew that his father was going to die, but he still fed him and took care of him till the end. He thought of leaving, but he never carried out any of these thoughts. In the end, he said that he didn't cry because the conditions he was
put in hardened him. He lacked emotion.

Night Blog

2/18/16
Prompts:
1.) Pick a phrase from what you are reading that made you think. Interpret what the author meant.
2.) Analyze what motivates the authors behavior.

          The book that I'm reading is called "Night" by Elie Wiesel. A phrase that I made me think in the book was, "I had to become a different person. The student of Talmud, the child I was, had been consumed by the flames...my soul had been invaded-and devoured-by the black flame." This quote made me think a good amount. It made me think how we should not take everything for granted. The author, as a child, was very pious. Later, when we has put into a concentration camp, where he experienced many traumatizing moments, he became to take his attention away from God. This was mostly due to the fact that he saw that things were not getting any better. In fact, they were getting worse. This all made me think that we should not take our freedom for granted. Or anything for that matter because it can be taken away from us at any time.

           There have been many things that have motivated the author during this period in his life. One of those things, although it had a very negative impact, was leaving God behind. During his time in the concentration camp he experienced horrible things such as: his father getting slapped and beaten, getting whipped, seeing a hanging of a child, and much more. In time he began to seperate from God because he didn't think that he was there for them, that he abandoned them and left them for dead Every event that happened seperated him from God more and more.

"Forgotten" Butterfly Project

I commented on: Evie's, Omar's, James's, and Joseph's

AoW Impressions Blog

2/16/16
Prompt: Today you were educated by your peers as to different topics focusing on the Holocaust.  Now take a moment to reflect upon your impressions of what you have learned from the array of articles in at least two well written paragraphs, using evidence from your graphic organizer.


          I learned many things during the AoW gallery walk. It was filled with many emotions due to the fact that the Holocaust is a topic when many people were killed in inhuman ways. In the long run I learned many new things that pertained tothe Holocaust.

          One of the things that I learned was about a Holocaust survivor that is teaching many kids about his experiences. Although there are many people that teach the Holocaust to kids this teacher struck me as different. He seemed to actually strike people at the heart, not that the other survivors haven't, but he made other kids think differently. He made them think about their actions and what they shouldn't take for granted. 

           The author also thinks that nobody should hate someone. Even if they have done something horrible to you. If you hate somebody that has done something bad to you that makes you lower than they are. Hitler did something bad to the survivor and the survivor teaches that he does not hate Hitler because then he would be as low as Hitler. 

            Another thing I learned that is happening right now is there is one last Nazi in the U.S. There is a Nazi hunter that is fighting against the Nazi. Right now there is an active court case against the Nazi. The Nazi was a bodyguard for a concentration camp. Everyone thinks that he will die in New York due to his age. Since they think this the decided to not send him back to Germany. These are all the things I learned during the AoW gallery walk.

Berlin Memorial Blog

2/4/16
Prompts:
1- What did you learn?
2- Why do you think this monument was built?
3- What did you notice about the number of laws passed in certain years?
4- Which restrictions do you think you would have the most trouble dealing with and why?


          I learned many things during the Berlin Memorial activity. I learned that almost all of the Jews entertainment was taken away. Such as being able to go to sports clubs, movies, car clubs, swimming pools, being able to play with other kids that are not Jewish, use the beach, and choir clubs. Jews were discriminated and were not able to go into other places where Jews were not present. Their rights were taken away. Their belonings were taken away. Their pets were taken away and in the end their lives were taken away. They were wiped from the face of the Earth. They had always been a target for centuries, but it was Hitler that got everybody going. He turned everybody against the Jews.  This is what I learned.                                                                                                                      

           I think the Berlin Memorial was built to recognize the Jews and their hardships. It was also to show how they were treated during the many years of war. How, one by one, their rights, entertainment, and belongings were taken from them. To show how they were treated unfairly.  This is why I think the memorial was built.

           I noticed that in the beginning most of the Jews entertainment was taken from them. Tnrough the years 1933 and 1938 all of their entertainment. Then, came the loss of job. After delcaring your belongings and the Star of David. No food and water. Finally, destroying all of the evidence of ever killing 6 million Jews and 5 million other races.

            I think the most trouble I would have with any of the restriction is being restricted from milk or eggs. I know this is not a basic essential in the human life, but milk and eggs symbolize food. I can not live without food for maybe one week. I don't think anyone can live without food for one week. This must of been horrible for the Jews and I take this basic essential for granted. I know this is one of the restrictions I would have a problem with.