User:Gaby S/bagrut project/book sharing

Comments From Forums

Belief, Indifference, or Denial

Dear Gina, there has been a mistake, so now I'm also your partner. I haven't finished reading the book but I do have an opinion about this subject. We keep hearing in Israel about how shocked the people who survived Holocaust. It's an experience that can't be explained, and most of the survivors can't talk about it- because it was so horrible. Probably people felt then, that being optimistic was probably the only thing that they can do- or denying the truth was the easier way to escape fear. Also, Jews weren't allowed to show any kind of religion, but some of the people felt that belief was the only way to survive this event. Also, people around the world were apathetic to the situation. They might have also felt that they shouldn't get involved in this situation- so they wouldn't get hurt by the Holocaust. What is your opinion about not involving in the Holocaust? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby.

Dear Patrick, there has been a mistake, so now I'm also your partner. In my opinion, acting as being calm or denying the facts, is as you said, to protect his family from fears or anything else that can damage their safety. In my opinion, there wasn't really any other choice- because he probably was also scared. If I wanted my family not to be scared of something-something like war, maybe I would talk it over with them, and prepare myself and the family to the situation, but I would have discuss it with them. I can't really know what I would have done in the situation- luckily I haven't experienced anything like it. What would your reaction be, if you were in the same situation? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby BTW- I left a comment at the "lounge" for you.

Choiceless choices

1. Dear Gina, In the book Night there were many choicless choices. This was reality and still is for some of the survivors. Ellie Wiesel tells in his book about these many "choices". We can't even imagine how miserable and confusing these choicless choices were. From the other stories we have heard, some people preferred to chose death over having a horrible life in the ghettos. There was also a problem with the fact that some people didn't get these choices- for example, when people were told to go on trains, some were chosen to go. As you said, these were choiceless choices- the Jews could choose between life and death, and most of times the choice was up to the Nazis. People who have gone through this experience will never get over it. What do you think about the choices that the Nazis said that the Jews had, but in reality, they had the choices? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby.

Dear Patrick, In the book Night there were many choicless choices. This was reality and still is for some of the survivors. Ellie Wiesel tells in his book about these many "choices". We can't even imagine how miserable and confusing these choicless choices were. From the other stories we have heard, some people preferred to chose death over having a horrible life in the ghettos. There was also a problem with the fact that some people didn't get these choices- for example, when people were told to go on trains, some were chosen to go. These were choiceless choices- the Jews could choose between life and death, and most of times the choice was up to the Nazis. People who have gone through this experience will never get over it. What do you think about the choices that the Nazis said that the Jews had, but in reality, they had the choices? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby

2. Dear Gina, As I said before I don't know what I would do, because I was never in a situation that my dad was in danger and I had the choice to do something about it but it had a lot of risks involving it. Theoretically, I would try to do something about it.

Survivors Who Champion Human Rights

1. Dear Gina/ Patrick, Ellie Wiesel is continuing to be a champion of human rights around the world because he is telling about the horrible experience the Jews had- a story that should be told. These experience is a reason why human rights is so important. The people in the ghetto were treated as animals, and even as creators. The conditions they had in their life were horrible. The Nazis didn't see them as humans- so they didn't see any reason why to give them their rights. When Ellie is telling his story it helps people understand that no one deserves to be treated like that. People should be awared to the human rights they have and should try to do their best to fix a situation were the human rights are hurt. What is your opinin? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby.

2. Dear Gina, I think it's very important to save these testimonies because they do make a difference- for the next generations. The survivors from the Holocaust are getting older and in a few years, very sadly, they'll die and it will be harder to get information about the Holocaust.

Indifference or Helplessness

Dear Gina/ Patrick, In the book, the little boy didn't defend his father because of shock and fear on his own life. He was a young boy and no one could expect from him to react to this action. I don't know how would I react to this situation- I haven't experience this kind of this situation. I can't say how I would behave. These days people would probably go and run to get some help, but it wouldn't be the same. What do you think about this scene? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby.

Is There Any Morality to Survival

I really don't know what would I do in Ellie's case, the question of surviving depending on some else's life is hard. As you said, some people might chose to say that stealing because the doubt of their life isn't right. But in that kind of situation, where you're not sure how anything is going to turn out to be, it's probably so hard to decide, especially when it's the life of your father. In my opinion, helping your father depending on your life isn't something that we should judge. It's not right to put ourselves in someone else's situation or life, without even experiencing it. In what situations in your life, did you judge someone else or someone else judged you about something you did, depending on morality? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby.

Dear Patrick, I'm fine, thank you, and you? Anything new going on? I really don't know what would I do in Ellie's case, the question of surviving depending on some else's life is hard. Some people might chose to say that stealing because the doubt of their life isn't right. But in that kind of situation, where you're not sure how anything is going to turn out to be, it's probably so hard to decide, especially when it's the life of your father. In my opinion, helping your father depending on your life isn't something that we should judge. It's not right to put ourselves in someone else's situation or life, without even experiencing it. In what situations in your life, did you judge someone else or someone else judged you about something you did, depending on morality? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby.

Silence

Dear Patrick/ Gina, How are you doing? Any new activities at you school? When I hear the combination Holocaust and Silence, it reminds me of fear. During our classes about the Holocaust since we were young, we heard horrible stories about people having to be quiet while their families where being abused so they wouldn't be fund by the Nazis. There is a famous story about a mother hiding with her baby in a shelter while the Nazis where looking for Jews, and she had to stop the baby crying by putting her hand over his mouth. It killed her child. It's on of the most shocking stories I heard. I think silence is scary. Some people in the Holocaust had to hide in shelters foe days being quiet- it made them loose their sanity. I agree that silence can be relaxing, but not at this case. Do you agree? Hope to hear from you soon, Gaby

conclusion

reflection

This year we started our Bagrut project that we will be tested about next year. This is a book-sharing project about the book "Night" by Ellie Wiesel, with Mullen School, Colorado. This book was about the Holocaust, a subject that is very close to us. To start, we signed up to the project's website and to the Forums in the website. Each forum discussed a different subject about the book dealing with different scenes and issues in the book. In these forums we discussed our feelings and thoughts about the book, letting us express ourselves about the Holocaust, connected to a question that our teachers wrote to us, dealing with moral dilemmas, religion phrases (for example- where is God?), human rights and more. During this project we were signed up to teams, each team had 1-2 students from Israel and a student from Colorado- then, we wrote to them and discussed these subjects with them. It gave us a chance to tell other students from the world about our point of view about this very sensitive subject. At first it was hard communicating with them because it wasn't so clear who was assigned with whom. It was a bit frustrating because sometimes we didn't get replies about our posts, but then it got easier and everyone knew who they needed to reply to. I found out that the students that we wrote to are very nice and smart. These students chose to study about the Holocaust, and it was nice to know that not only Israel is dealing and talking about this subject. I learned so much about how people see the Holocaust, moral issues that people had to face all the time and so much more. Although the project had been closed down, I hope we will continue this project next year.