HolocaustHistory.net - Holocaust Centre, Beth Shalom
 
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On the eve of the Second World War, the Jewish community was a diverse and vibrant community of people. There were rich and poor, religious and secular, socialists, capitalists, professors, and labourers - a broad spectrum of ordinary people. Each, in their own way contributed to the societies in which they lived, and ensured that the community to which they belonged was cared for. It is important to understand that there were vast differences between different Jewish communities. In Western Europe, many Jews did not consider themselves Jewish other than by birth. They were fully integrated into their surroundings and had little or nothing to do with their religious traditions, favouring to adopt the language, culture and tradition of their neighbours and friends. Other communities, particularly in Eastern Europe were very poor, very religious and as a result not so integrated. In either case, there was a false sense of safety.

A Diverse Community
“The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice, and the desire for personal independence - these are the features of the Jewish tradition which make me thank my stars that I belong to it”.
Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize Physicist, who left Germany to avoid the Nazis.
   
   
IntroductionWhat is the Holocaust?
Jewish Tradition
Antisemitism
Hitlers Rise to Power
The Third Reich

Mass Murder
The Final Solution
Concentration Camp
Resisting the Enemy
The Aftermath
 
     
 
       
 
       
 
Timeline
 


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Tradition - Diverse