Appendix 1
‘I Too Had a Face: The New Holocaust History Museum’
from Yad Vashem Magazine no.31, published 2004, by Avner Shalev,
Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate and Chief Curator of the New Museum
of Holocaust History.
The article can be found at http://www1.yadvashem.org/about_yad/magazine/magazine_new/mag_31/index_museum_31.html
Bluma Wallch’s spectacles, now in Yad Vashem
This article uses formal language to discuss the importance of the way in which
history and memories are presented to audiences. Yad Vashem, located in
Jerusalem, Israel, is the country’s memorial to the Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of
the Holocaust. Within the vast complex of Yad Vashem can be found The New
Holocaust History Musuem, which, as Shalev writes, focuses on “providing
information and an experiential dimension.” This article is an excellent resource
for the ‘History and Memory’ unit because not only does it discuss the role of
memory in telling history, it also highlights how the background of the museum’s
curators have impacted on the way the history of the Holocaust is presented. As
you read the article, think about what influenced Avner Shalev in his role as Chief
Curator of the Museum in the choice of artefacts on display.
Questions for discussion
1. Why does Shalev open his article with a story about Bluma Wallach’s
spectacles?
2. What is the significance of the glasses to Bluma’s daughter, Tuva?
3. What will the museum use to present its ‘special “story” that the museum
wishes to impart’ and what is this story?
4. What is the museum’s purpose in providing visitors with ‘The perspective of
the individual’? Why is this regarded as a ‘keystone’ of the museum?
5. What is the purpose of the article?
6. How is the article structured to convey its purpose?
7. What contextual factors have influenced the way Shalev has written this
article?
8. Discuss, in an extended response, how Shalev conveys the importance of the
relationship between history and memory.
Appendix 2
To Forget |
by Arye Palgi
(Arye Palgi is a journalist, a member of Givat Oz Kibbutz, and a Holocaust survivor)
I would like to wake up one morning and discover
that there was no Holocaust. That it was only a fable. A passing nightmare.
I would like not to remember anything. Not to tell, not
to pass on, not to gather any more testimonies, not
to build any more monuments, not to explain again
and again what lambs are and what slaughter is, what pain is and what
courage is.
I would like memorial days to be canceled, along with their
stifled tears, bewildered sorrow and
pity , and their sterile
catharsis.
I would like a life free of the Holocaust, clean of
Holocaust. Without trains, without camps, without
death marches, without furnaces, without this repeated,
debilitating fear.
I would waive the gestures of respect
for the survivors, the looks of awe and pity
at the sight of the numbers tattooed on arms.
I would like there to be no explanations, no movies,
no plays, no Holocaust culture, and
none of the mockery surrounding the Holocaust industry
and Holocaust festivals.
I would like not to defend the uniqueness of the
Holocaust, its Jewish exclusivity, its worldwide, historical distinctiveness.
I would like to separate the images from there, which arise at times of existential
danger to us and to other
nations. I would like to cut the associative connections
when we offend against others.
It would be easier for me without all of this. I would
be liberated. Free. As if I was born anew.
Without complexes and without compensation.
But the Holocaust is not a weight tied to my feet.
It is a burden lying on my soul. There is no letting go,
no throwing away, no getting rid of it. We need to learn
to live with it, to pretend that we are used to it.
To groan in secret.
So to feel the relief of fulfilling a duty, I will
go, this year too, in a few more days, to yet another annual
memorial ceremony, to remember what I would have liked
to forget, to meet what I would have so liked
to pass by.
Good morning Holocaust and heroism. I am here. We are here. Longing to
forget. Addicted to memory.
Prepared for the lessons.
Arye Palgi, Good Morning Holocaust and Revolt [Heb.], Sifriat Poa’alim and
Moreshet, Tel-Aviv, 1996, p. 11. The poem is also included on the following website:
http://www.marchoftheliving.org/mol2008/yv-books/ENGLISH/B203~1.PDF
To Forget
Poem by Arye Palgi
This is an excellent poem to use in conjunction with ‘The Fiftieth Gate’ because it
connects to Baker’s book in many ways. However, because it is a poem, the language
devices used are quite different and hence you have an opportunity to show how the
relationship between history and memory is represented in different ways.
This emotive poem describes how the horror of the past has impacted on the way the
poet, Arye Palgi, views the present. Whilst he recognizes that because of the Holocaust,
society has remembered and honoured the victims, he describes these memorials as a
‘sterile catharsis’ – in other words, that unless one was there, one can never truly
understand what the victims of the Holocaust experienced. His memories are so terrible
– ‘trains…death marches… furnaces...debilitating fear,’ that he would prefer ‘not to
remember anything… …not to explain…what pain is…’
Palgi recognizes that there is an irony in the way the Holocaust is remembered. He is
critical that remembering such horror has now given rise to an ‘industry’, a ‘culture’. Yet,
he recognizes that the memory of the Holocaust is too deeply embedded in him ‘To
Forget,’ it is a ‘burden lying on my soul.’ So, in spite of his desire to forget, Palgi will
attend an up-coming annual Holocaust memorial, ironically to relieve his guilt at not
wanting to attend.
The juxtaposition in the poem’s final stanza concludes the poem’s point – that while the
Holocaust is something better forgotten, he (and we?) have become “addicted” to the
memory of it. All that can now be gained from this are ‘lessons to be learnt.’
Questions for Discussion
1. Why does the poet repeat the word ‘not’ in the opening stanza?
2. In the first stanza, what is the feeling the poet conveys regarding being a Holocaust
survivor?
3. What is meant by the expression “lambs…slaughter…”?
4. How does the memory of the Holocaust affect the poet today as described in stanza
3?
5. What is the effect of placing ‘debilitating fear’ on a separate line at the end of stanza
3?
6. Ayre Palgi is critical of the way the Holocaust has impacted on various issues today.
In stanzas 5 and 6, what does he mean by –
‘I would like not to defend…historical distinctiveness.’
‘…separate the images…which arise at times of existential danger…other nations.’
‘…cut the associative connections when we offend against others.’
7. What do you think ‘the lessons to be learnt’ might be?
8. By the poem’s end, we discover that Palgi experiences a range of emotions when
remembering the Holocaust. Discuss what these are.
9. What is Palgi’s purpose in this poem?
10. What language devices does he use to achieve his purpose? Discuss at least four.
These may include –structure, first person, repetition, adjectives, emotive language,
irony, short and long lines. Be sure to include evidence to support your findings.
11. What is Palgi’s perspective on the relationship between history and memory?
Arye Palgi is a journalist, a member of Givat Oz Kibbutz in Israel, and a Holocaust
survivor. ‘To Forget’ was first published in 1996. It can be found on a website designed
for participants on ‘March of the Living’. This ‘March’ is held every year and takes young
Jewish people from around the world to various sites in Poland, where many of the
atrocities of the Holocaust took place, in order for them to gain a greater understanding
of the bitter realities of the Holocaust (or Shoah, in Hebrew). The poem appears at the
beginning of the guide book. Here is the link to this website. It is an excellent website to
visit in order to gain an understanding of the experience of Jews.
http://www.marchoftheliving.org/mol2008/yv-books/ENGLISH/B203~1.PDF
Appendix 3
Museum as Text – The Sydney Jewish Museum
http://www.sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/Exhibitions/PermanentExhibtions/default.aspx
Another contemporary way of exploring the relationship between history and
memory is through museums. Modern museology (the methods used by
museums in displaying and representing the past) doesn’t just present artifacts
as factual evidence of the past; they try to link the artifacts to the social context in
which they were created. The Sydney Jewish Museum does this particularly well.
The Museum was created in 1992 spearheaded by a group of Holocaust
survivors who were living in Sydney. The Museum’s website states that:
‘There are many reasons why this Museum is important: to teach racial
tolerance; to ensure the evils of the past are not repeated; to serve as a witness
to the Holocaust and to stand as a memorial to the six million martyred Jews
and the millions of non-Jewish victims. It also tells the history of the Jews in
Australia and illustrates the richness of Jewish life by showing its traditions.
The Mission Statement of the Museum reads:
To commemorate the lives of the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis and
their collaborators, honour the Survivors and pay tribute to the Righteous Among
the Nations.
In the case of The Sydney Jewish Museum, a wide range of historical artifacts are used
to support the factual texts displayed near the items.
The Museum is designed to present the story of the Holocaust in a chronological order.
For example, the museum begins with pre-war Jewish life in Europe and culminates in a
section on returning to life after the Holocaust. Within this organization, the vast array of
factual and personal testimony is used to fulfill the museum’s mission.
Try to visit the Museum at its Sydney location in Darlinghurst. If you visit, record details
about the artifacts on display.
What do you think the purpose of displaying these artifacts is?
http://www.sydneyjewishmuseum.com.au/Exhibitions/Permanent-Exhibtions/default.aspx
The Museum website also states:
‘The way to learn about the Holocaust is from those who lived through it; those
generations of Australians. The heart and soul of the museum are our 90
volunteer guides, of whom approximately 70 are Holocaust survivors. Their
stories are more powerful than any photographs, documents or artefacts. Nothing
can replace the impact of meeting a survivor of the Holocaust within the powerful
surroundings of the Museum who are able to harness their pain and despair in
order to educate future.’
If you are using the website, go to one of the survivor testimonies. If you visit the
museum, spend some time with one of the survivors. Use your skills to record
details about your findings – how are the events of the past represented by these
survivors.
Appendix 4
Webpage - The Hall of Names in Yad Vashem’s New Museum
Yad Vashem is the name of Israel’s Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance
Authority. It is located on Mount Herzel in Jerusalem and it has many functions. One of
its functions is to maintain a website that presents information to people all over the
world about Yad Vashem. The home page of the website is an excellent text to use as a
related text for the ‘History and Memory’ module. (www.yadvashem.org.il)
Another function of Yad Vashem is to provide an experiential history of the Holocaust in
the form of a museum to its many daily visitors, The New Museum. Within The New
Museum is ‘The Hall of Names.’ Furthermore, information about The Hall of Names can
be found on the Yad Vashem website. It is a useful text to help us explore and
understand the relationship between ‘history’ and memory.’
www.yadvashem.org.il
When using this as a related text, keep in mind the purpose of both Yad Vashem and of
the webpage itself. Information about Yad Vashem can be found on its website.
Yad Vashem means
“…And I shall give them in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name [Yad
Vashem]…that shall not be cut off.”
Isaiah, 56:5
The Hall of Names in The New Museum serves to memorialize the names of the victims
of Nazi persecution during the Holocaust.
The first part of The Hall of Names webpage contains 4 sections, the most eye-catching
of which is the photograph of the Hall.
The Hall of Names contains the names of every known Jewish person who perished
during the Holocaust. This photograph juxtaposes the six human figures with the huge
dome covered with photographs of victims. The effect of this juxtaposition emphasises
the enormity of the numbers who died – some six million. In addition, each photograph is
of an individual or family who died. This serves to remind the viewer of the importance of
remembering that those who died were people – men, women, children, brothers,
sisters, parents…and not just a number. Thus, the photograph is effective in conveying
the power of the image in creating a response to past events.
The quote at the top of the page gives a personal perspective on the Holocaust -
“Remember only that I was innocent
and, just like you, mortal on that day,
I, too, had had a face marked by rage, by pity and
joy,
quite simply, a human face!”
Benjamin Fondane, Exodus
Murdered at Auschwitz, 1944
It adds to Yad Vashem’s representation of the Holocaust as an event that had an impact
on an individual, in this case, Benjamin Fondane. The sad and personal tone of the
quote highlights that the victim was an individual and a real human being, not simply a
‘number’.
Activity – examine the website and discuss the following:
1. What is the purpose of this webpage? Use evidence in your answer.
2. What language devices are used on the webpage to convey the importance of the
relationship between history and memory?
3. What are ‘Pages of Testimony’? Why are these ‘Pages’ incomplete?
To enhance your understanding of Pages of Testimony, visit the Yad Vashem website’s
Education link. It contains explanations on the importance and meaning of collecting
pages of testimony (http://www1.yadvashem.org/stories/lessonH1EN.htm)
Appendix 5
Speech – ‘The Perils of Indifference’
By Elie Wiesel
http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/wiesel.htm
The website ‘The History Place’ is a useful site for reading profound and
important speeches. Elie Wiesel is one such speaker. A Holocaust survivor,
Wiesel gave this speech in the Millennium Lecture series, hosted by President
Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in the White House in 1999.
The transcript of Wiesel’s speech is preceded by ‘The History Place’s’ detailed
description of Elie Wiesel - his experiences as a Jewish prisoner of the Nazis
during the Holocaust and some of his achievements since surviving. Wiesel is
the author of the highly recommended book Night. Reading this slim volume
about Wiesel’s experiences during the Holocaust (and itself a highly suitable
related text) is a helpful background, as is the introduction to this speech, for
understanding the contextual influences on Wiesel. For any text used in the
History and Memory module, understanding the contextual influences on the
composers of your related texts is crucial.
As you read through the speech several times, make notes on the following:
Explain what Wiesel means by the following:
•
‘Though he did not understand their language, their eyes told him what he
needed to know -- that they, too, would remember, and bear witness.’
•
[ Indifference is] ‘A strange and unnatural state in which the lines blur
between light and darkness, dusk and dawn, crime and punishment,
cruelty and compassion, good and evil.’
•
[Franklin D. Roosevelt] ‘And, nevertheless, his image in Jewish history -- I
must say it -- his image in Jewish history is flawed.’
•
‘Does it mean that we have learned from the past? Does it mean that
society has changed? Has the human being become less indifferent and
more human? Have we really learned from our experiences?’
•
‘And together we walk towards the new millennium, carried by profound
fear and extraordinary hope.’
•
What is Wiesel’s purpose – consider who he is and who he is addressing
•
The way the speech is structured
•
The opening and closing
•
The effect of using of 3rd person, then 1st person, point of view
•
Rhetorical devices, such as questions
•
Appealing to certain members of the audience
•
The historical events he refers to and how he describes them
•
His perspective on past events
•
The purpose of the repetition of phrases such as “I don’t understand”
•
His emotive appeal
•
How he uses past events to comment on the present
•
The effect of the second last paragraph on the responder
Next, put your notes altogether in an extended response which discusses how
history and memory are used by Wiesel to convey a perspective on the present?
You can also listen to this speech on the History place website and include
references to tone, pace etc.as further techniques used to convey a view of the
past.
Finally, you may like to look at some of Wiesel’s other speeches, eg. his Nobel
Peace Prize speech (1986), or the speech he gave to German leaders at
Buchenwald recently.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1986/presentationspeech.htmlhttp://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/eliewieselbuchenwaldspeech.htm