ARCHIVE for HMD2010: The Legacy of Hope
The case studies and related education resources for HMD2010, The Legacy of Hope, have been archived. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is currently focusing on the theme for this year, Speak Up, Speak Out.
HMD 2010 Questions for use with the Case Studies (Post 16)
Initial Questions:
*In what way(s) have the people in the case studies left a Legacy of Hope for future generations?
*Think about all the other people who interacted in some way with the central characters in the case studies e.g. a teacher, a community leader, a neighbour, a civil servant or a person with medical training and discuss how they treated a) individuals b) groups of people. Suggest some reasons for their actions.
*The Nazis presented their version of an “ideal” German citizen. The image they created was of “perfect” fair skinned, blond haired, blue eyed people. In propaganda films, those with different physical features were shown to be “legitimate” targets for discrimination. Hitler and his supporters also chose to target people whose thoughts and actions deviated from their concept of normality and perfection. Why do you think they chose to target both groups? In what ways could it be argued that one choice is related to the other?
For further research:
*Research the development of either the Bosnian or Rwandan Genocides of the 1990s and present your findings in a case study format linked with the Legacy of Hope theme.
*Consider modern world communities and the city, town or village community where you live. In groups think about possible answers to these questions:
a. We claim to support community cohesion and are encouraged to celebrate diversity within society but are all members of society really offered identical opportunities to explain their needs and realise their dreams?
b. What might your school or college community do to make sure that all its members feel welcomed? What could a local community do to ensure that all individuals are valued by others?
c. Actions may speak louder than words so in 2010 what could young people, in your community do to create a Legacy of Hope and set an example to others?
Case Study Questions:
a.What do we learn from Ben’s story about the strength of character of both his parents?
b.Which of Ben’s post Holocaust achievements do you find the most memorable and why?
c.Imagine that there was to be a new award for young people called the Ben Helfgott Legacy of Hope prize. What sort of achievements should be considered worthy of nomination for the award and what should be engraved on the prize to remind the recipient of Ben?
a. Why did Denise turn down the chance to escape to France?
b. Why do you think Denise’s husband disappeared and why was her son separated from her by the Khmer Rouge?
c. After all the tragic losses faced by Denise what do you think is her Legacy of Hope?
a.Hugo’s parents were prepared to escape from Europe before the Nazi invasion. Why did they change their mind?
b.Why do you think Bella took such care to bury her Shabbat candlesticks and the Kiddush cup? Why did Hugo make every effort to recover them?
c.It took Hugo a long time before speaking publicly about his experiences. What was it that suddenly compelled him to speak? How important is it to have eyewitness accounts of what happened to victims of the Nazis and of subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur?
a.What were the reasons behind the efforts of Oneg Shabbat?
b.What do you think is the most valuable evidence to come from the archive, the official histories, the creative work of poets, or the short personal stories? Give reasons for your choice.
c.Why did the survivors make such an effort to locate the archive after the war and why do you think part of it is still missing?
d.What different things can we learn about human nature from this narrative?
a.Before you heard the stories in the case study were you aware that the Nazis targeted so many groups for persecution and exclusion? Do you think most people today are aware of all the different kinds of people persecuted by the Nazis?
b.Why is it difficult to say exactly how many people in each group died or suffered between 1933 and 1945?
c.Who was the most responsible for the suffering of the victim groups, those who gave the orders to arrest, detain and murder, those who carried out the orders or those who noticed that something was happening but did not ask any questions or take any action?
6.65 Years: Lessons for the Future
a.When people talk about learning the lessons of the Holocaust what do you think they mean?
b.What is your definition of a Legacy of Hope?
c.What positive actions could your local community, national Governments and members of the European Parliament take to become part of The Legacy of Hope?
Finally
Now students have examined all the case studies and thought about The Legacy of Hope, discuss together whether all people in modern society are equally valued by everyone. Encourage students to find examples which show that people are more welcoming to others today but also highlight at least one area of inequality and suggest how this unfairness could be removed.
Explain that if we really want to learn from the past and create a Legacy of Hope for our shared future we may have to be prepared to speak out in the face of injustice. This is not always an easy thing to do and means that as individuals we test our conscience and ask ourselves difficult questions.
The following questions may help young people plan their own part in The Legacy of Hope but as they are more difficult and sometimes personal they may need more time to reflect in private rather than share personal commitment with others.
Give the students these final instructions:
Take a few quiet moments to think about the named individuals in the case studies and the millions of others affected by persecution, whose names you do not know. Now reflect on these questions, as a senior member of your school or college community:
What can I do today to contribute to The Legacy of Hope?
What will I promise to do in the future to fight injustice and promote equality in my community and in the wider world?
If you are really honest when you answer these questions you may have to ask these too:
*What have I done in my life so far to make a difference to individual lives?
*How can I make a special effort to hear the voices of those ignored by others?
*What can I do to show others that I am listening?
And the most important question:
What is my definition of a *Legacy of Hope and what can I do to encourage others to become part of it?
- Post16_CaseStudyQuestions (PDF: 101896 KB)