We All Had Names (WAHN) is a project of education about the Shoah – the Nazi Holocaust of World War II.
When finished, WAHN will consist of three historical interaction pieces. In each piece, participants will verbally portray characters and events in a critical historical period. After each piece, participants discuss the characters and events, relating them to their own experiences, the greater historical picture, and current affairs.
Kristallnacht: Night of Broken Glass
The first piece, «Kristallnacht: Night of Broken Glass», is set in Germany and France in the winter of 1938. The piece focuses on the events leading up to and following the pogrom. Participants follow the fates of thousands of German Jews being sent to Poland; the assassination of a German diplomat; the Kristallnacht itself, where Jewish stores and synagogues were destroyed and looted; and the transport of German Jews to the concentration camp in Dachau.
Among the themes addressed in «Kristallnacht: Night of Broken Glass» are:
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The Nazi political tactics of collective blame and anti-Jewish propaganda
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The role of active and inactive civilians in allowing or helping the Kristallnacht take place
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The role of individuals in major historical events
Judenrat: Jewish Councils of Eastern Europe
The second piece, «Judenrat: Jewish Councils of Eastern Europe», is currently being written. It is set in occupied Poland in the years 1939 to 1943. The piece focuses on the Judenräte, councils of Jews set down by the Nazi occupants to administrate the Jewish ghettoes. Participants follow and re-enact the decisions of the Judenräte. Discussions focus on the controversial role of the Judenräte, who were forced to follow the orders of the Nazi occupants while simultaneously attempting to save those who lived in the ghetto.
Among the themes addressed in «Judenrat: Jewish Councils of Eastern Europe» are:
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The Nazi tactic of deliberate step-by-step removal of all Jewish rights and property
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The impossible double role of the Judenräte
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The values of individual lives versus the lives of thousands
The Silence
The third piece, «The Silence», is currently in planning. It will address one central theme: The reasons why so many individuals did not speak up or take any action to prevent the horrors of the Holocaust. The piece will require participants to ask themselves the question: In current, ongoing crises in the world, do we as individuals use the same reasons not to act? If so, how can we change that behavior and take positive action?
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