DeCamp 1 Montana DeCamp Mrs.

Wickett/ Shayer Period 7/8 19 April 2012 Terrible Treatment Ghetto: a part of a city set aside by the Nazis to contain only Jews (58). In the book, In the Ghettos: Teens Who Survived the Ghettos of the Holocaust, author Eleanor Ayer describes how it was a struggle for all Jews to survive in the ghettos. In the ghettos all around Germany, such as Lodz, many Jews were crammed into unsuitable living conditions. All of the ghettos had set boundaries and many restrictions. Yet, many Jews still didnt give up hope. One theme of this book is the mistreatment of the Jews during the Holocaust was horrendous, which should never be repeated. During the Holocaust, Jews living in the ghettos were isolated from Gentiles, separated from their families, and robbed of their freedoms. During the Holocaust, Jews were isolated from Gentiles. On September 20, 1939, just three weeks after the start of the war, the countries under German control were required to place all Jews in special areas called ghettos (9). Many Jews who lived in urban areas were forced to move from their homes into the heavily guarded ghettos. By separating them from the rest of the population, it made it easier for the Nazis to round up Jews for slave labor or mass murder (12). To show just how heavily guarded he ghettos were, on May 1, 1940, the Lodz ghettos was sealed with cruel, patrolling guards and fences of made wood and barbed wire. No help could come from the outside world to the inside, suffering ghetto (30). It was clear that by separating Jews from everybody else, they were oppressed.

DeCamp 2 As well as being separated from non-Jewish people, Jews were also separated from their families. Nazis started separating the parents, older ones, and took the children under ten years old away (19). Rita Hilton, a survivor of the Lodz ghetto, recalls them taking away the children. They would make everyone line up on the street and just select the old people and children (33). Its hard to believe that one moment you could be with your family, and then the next moment youre being taken away. In the Theresienstadt ghetto, men were separated from the women. Only the children under 12 stayed with their mothers. Teens were ordered to stay with the parents of the same sex. Later on in the ghetto, a rule was changed; all young children were to be housed in separate barracks called childrens homes (37). Being taken away from family members left Jews with many broken hearts. Besides Jews were robbed of their family life, they were robbed of their freedom. As World War II progressed, Jews had more and more restrictions. Things they did or used every day, such as street cars, going to the caf, park, or even school, were suddenly unavailable (13). On August 1, 1935, NO JEWS signs started appearing in Germany forbidding Jews from stores, restaurants, and places of entertainment (56). In the city of Libau, Nazis set up a ghetto for Jews and forced the 1,000 inmates of men, women, and teens to do slave labor (11). Activities were not allowed in the ghettos. Education was very scarce. There werent enough textbooks and supplies. Nazis then made it illegal to hold school; in reaction, people in the ghettos disguised schools as workshops (28). Irene Weber, survivor of the Little Fortress, remembers only getting food every other day (44). Having no activities made life for Jews very depressing and hard to look on the bright side; yet, they still found a way. All in all, being isolated from Gentiles, separated from their families, and robbed of their freedom, were just some of the mistreatments received by Jews. Life was very troubling for

DeCamp 3 Jews separated from the rest of the population. Heavily guarded areas made it difficult for any hope of escape. Nazis forces not only separated Jews from Gentiles, but also separated family members. Young and old alike were taken away from their loved ones; making them feel very empty. Lastly, Jews were robbed of their everyday activities. Having many restrictions and very limited privileges, Jews had nothing to look forward to for entertainment. The terrible treatment the Nazis gave the Jews should be prevented in every possible way to never happen again.

DeCamp 4 Works Cited Ayer, Eleanor. In the Ghettos: Teens Who Survived the Ghettos of the Holocaust. Irvine: Rosen Publishing Group Inc., 1999. Print.