Survivors of the Holocaust
Immediately
after World War II, Nazi leaders were brought to trial at Nuremberg,
Germany for "crimes against humanity" and other war crimes. At those
trials, the world heard evidence solely of what the perpetrators did.
The voices of victims were not given full expression until decades
later. Survivors of the Holocaust
brings some of their voices to the classroom. Steven Spielberg, in
association with Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation and
Turner Original Productions, offers viewers a unique opportunity to
hear the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of the survivors.
As students confront this history, they discover how unexamined prejudices encourage racism and antisemitism by turning neighbor against neighbor. Students make important connections between history and the moral choices they face in their own lives. And they come to understand that acts like those described in the documentary did not just happen randomly. They were the result of choices made by countless individuals and groups. Students learn that even the smallest decisions can have enormous consequences.
