Pam's script-

My name is Pam.  I am a student at Mary Hardin-Baylor. My presentation is on “Youth during the Holocaust”. This topic is important to me because it inspires me to keep hope because Anne Frank and Pavel Friedmann can see something positive during the Holocaust, we should be able to find hope living today.

Anne Frank’s Family in 1940 could not leave Amsterdam because of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. As persecutions of Jews increased in July 1942, the Frank family went into the hiding. Anne was 12. Very little is known about Pavel Friedman, but he was born in Prague and deported to a concentration camp in city of Terezín., His recorded arrival is April 26, 1942.

 Dr. Howard- standing at the podium

(Graphic 1) It is WWII. The Nazi have occupied the Netherlands a small country north of France. The Nazis and their dictatorship believed that Jews were less than human. Those that lived in the now occupied Nazi countries were gathered and quarantined.  Some Jews left Europe and joined their families overseas. Others went into hiding. Most of the unfortunate that stayed behind were murdered.  (Graphic 2)

 PAM as ANNE FRANK

Its Sunday, 14 June, 1942 I woke up at Six o’clock and no wonder: it was my birthday...Soon after seven I went to Mummy and Daddy and then to the sitting room to undo my presents.  (Graphic 3)

It is July 11, 1942. My family and the Van Dan’s and Mr. Druses moved into hiding in Amsterdam. I call our secret hiding place the Secret Annexe. Although it leans to one side and is damp, we’d never find such a comfortable hiding place anywhere. [Photo of ANNE]

 Dr. HOWARD standing at the podium

These quotations are directly from Anne Frank’s Journal.

Anne Frank’s family lived in hiding from July 6^th, 1942 to August 4th, 1944. Although her adolescent years were confined to only a part of a hidden compartment, she kept a positive perspective even in her circumstances.  She feared of the capture and bombing of her family and friends. Just as in any  family, there were tense situations between the occupants.  Anne Frank grew from a girl to a young adult. She thought about boys. She hoped for the future. She even used sarcasm to hide her fear and frustration.

 PAM as ANNE FRANK

It is Oct 1942 many of my Jewish friends are being taken away by the dozen……Nice People, the Germans! To think that I was once one of them. I do not know where they are going. I know some left the country but I wonder where my uncles are in America.

Its Feb 12^th 1944 Kitty, the sun is shining, the sky is deep blue there is a lovely breeze and I’m longing….to talk for freedom, for friends, to be alone.

It the 13^th of Feb 1944 Since Saturday a lot has changed for me… to say great joy-I will be honest about it already this morning, I thought Peter was in love with Margo but yesterday I suddenly had the feeling that he was not. I made it a special effort not to look at him much and kitty he kept on looking to.

 HOWARD

The quotations  are directly from Anne Frank’s Journal.

(Graphic 4) Throughout Anne’s diary, she talked about life, as limited as was, with resolve and girlishness. With the destruction of her life around her, she found love and support with her family and those in hiding with her. Her writings were her escape, her emotions flooded theses pages expressing perspective as a young Jewish teenage girl.

In August 4, 1944, the Secret Annexe was raided by the Polizei. In March 1945, two months before the release of Holland from Nazi control, Anne died in a concentration camp. The only survivor from her family was her Father.

Among the books and magazines in the Annexe, Anne’s diary was found. The diary was first printed in Dutch in 1947. By 1951 it was published in English. The diary became world famous and today it is printed approximately in 67 different languages and has sold more than 31 million copies.

 (Graphic 6) The Jewish ghettos were where the Nazis forced Jews into isolated parts of cities, barricading them with barb wires and walls with shards of glass]. Soldiers with weapons guarded   these streets so that no one would try to escape.  Life continued within these walls, but more and more Jews were transported and placed within this prison. There was overcrowding which caused massive starvation within the Ghettos. In spite of all the hatred, Jews rallied together using the only thing they had in common- their faith.

PAM as  PAVEL FRIEDMANN

My name is Pavel, I was born in Czechoslovakia. I was 21 years old and I was living in the Czech Ghetto. I composed this poem that was found there after I left.

The Butterfly 

The last, the very last,

So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.

Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing

against a white stone. . . .

[PIC 6 Such, such a yellow

Is carried lightly 'way up high.

It went away I'm sure because it wished to

kiss the world good-bye.]

For seven weeks I've lived in here,

Penned up inside this ghetto.

But I have found my people here

The dandelions call to me

And the white chestnut branches in the court.

Only I never saw another butterfly.

That butterfly was the last one.

[PIC 6 Butterflies don't live in here,

in the ghetto.]

(Pavel on Cam) I died in the concentration camp September 29, 1944

HOWARD standing at the podium

The perspective of this poem is one of overall positive perception. The yellow butterfly is a symbol hope of freedom expressed by Pavel. The butterfly can live and fly without  humanistic boundaries. Pavel, despite the darkness around him, finds the support with his faith. He said,  “I have found my people here.”

PAM

(Graphic 7 ) The evils of the Holocaust claimed an estimated 6 million Jewish people.] The Nazis did not care how young they were or how bright their future could have.  Anne and Pavel left behind a legacy of hope and triumph through their writings that no oppressive government could ever have stopped. These Youths wrote and expressed their emotions just like we do, but it was 70 years ago. The Holocaust was about Nazi occupation and the loss of freedom and the loss of life.

The Concept of the Holocaust and its persecution still continues today. It is up to you, as the next generation to stop these evils from repeating.

 Dr. Howard's script-

The United States Congress established the Days of Remembrance as our nation’s annual commemoration of the Holocaust and created the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as a  living memorial to Holocaust victims. Holocaust Remembrance Day is Thursday, April 19, 2012. The Museum designated Choosing to Act: Stories of Rescue as the theme for the 2012 observance. In accordance with its Congressional mandate, the Museum is responsible for leading the nation in commemorating the Days of Remembrance and encouraging observances throughout the United States.

Days of Remembrance are observed by state and local governments, military bases, workplaces, schools, churches, synagogues, and civic centers. Since 1982, the Museum has organized the national Days of Remembrance ceremony in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, with Holocaust survivors, liberators, members of Congress, White House officials, the diplomatic corps, and community leaders.

The term Holocaust with a capital H commonly refers to the killing of six million Jews by Nazi Germany during WWII. The term is also used more broadly to include the Nazis' systematic murder of millions of people in other groups, including political prisoners, people with disabilities, and other opponents. The word holocaust with a small letter h is related to other atrocious, extensive losses of life, including mass slaughter or genocides. The Holocaust of  WWII had many victims and heroic people, including youth. We have heard Pam refer to the positive attitudes of Anne Frank and   Pavel Friedmann, examples of youth victims of The Holocaust. There were other heroic youth who resisted the Nazis and tried to protect the Jews. Audrey Hepburn did this as a young messenger in The Netherlands.