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Teaching the Holocaust and other Genocides

Article from the Brooklyn Citizen, "Blessed Are They that Suffer"

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Four years after Fritz Kuhn led a pro-Nazi rally of the German American Bund at Madison Square Garden, a rabbi opened a performance dedicated to the murdered Jews of Europe. "We are here to say our prayers for the two million who have been killed in Europe. We are not here to weep for them." He continued, "We are here to honor them… 'They shall never die.' "  

It was the 9th of March 1943, and 40,000 people had turned out to watch the "We Will Never Die" pageant. The event was the brainchild of members of the Committee for a Jewish Army [see below] and some of the most prominent Jews in show business, hoping it would publicize the fate of the Jews of Europe. The cast featured 200 rabbis, 400 actors, and 100 musicians.  

Blessed are they that suffer

Page 4 of "The Brooklyn Citizen," March 14, 1943.

Short Answer Questions

1. What were the key themes of "We Will Never Die," and how were these themes conveyed through its narrative, performances, and visual elements? 

2. Based on this document, what was one impact of the Holocaust on Jewish communities in America?

3. `To what extent did "We Will Never Die" influence U.S. policymakers or public figures to take stronger action regarding the plight of Jewish refugees or the Nazi genocide? 

Sources

Article clipped from The Brooklyn Citizen. (1943, March 13). Newspapers.com. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen/93347812/