The Holocaust Memorial Center - Essay Example

This exibition is one thing to read about Jews in history, but to actually see photos brought the people to life. There was a wall that followed the anti-Semitism in Europe from the first Jews to World War II. After reading and seeing about European Jews, I did not understand why the Jews were so hated. It did explain how the Nazi party was able to isolate and deport the Jews to the camps. Ghettos were part of European life for the Jews. The ramp going down to the Holocaust exhibits was lined with Nazi propaganda posters and other exhibits showing how the Nazis came to power.

The different phases of the Final Solution were explained in graphic detail. More disturbing pictures were in pull out drawers. The worst part was the confines of the cattle car. I was only there for a short time, but the thought of being there for days terrified me. The Abyss was large screens showing what the liberators found. Each dead body or living skeleton was a person just like me. They had loved, hated, feared, hurt, and suffered. It is one thing to read six million people died, but to understand six million lives were snuffed out is totally different.

        The righteous Gentile wall was a little more reassuring. The eternal flame was a fitting memorial. I played the “what would you do” interaction terminal. It made me think. I would like to say I would have saved Jews, but that is too easy to think. If everyone would have felt that way the Holocaust would not have happened.