Holocaust Vocab Day 1 & 2

Holocaust Vocabulary
Day 1
New Words:
waif firmament anti-Semitic bombardment betrothed

The Ghetto
My family were one of the lucky ones. Although I was betrothed to a girl killed during the first action, I still felt lucky. We were alive. Amidst all of the anti-Semitic activity surrounding our home, we were one of the last to be forced into the ghetto. We had thought our previous living conditions to be cramped, but we had not imagined ghetto life. The night we left the firmament was dotted with only a few stars, like candles leading us to our prison. Living space was the last thing on our mind. Living was your only thought. Faced with a bombardment of people begging for whatever food your family got a hold of, many were starved until even the heaviest of us appeared waif-like.

Sample sentences: Try your hand now at using your new words by writing them in their correct form (change endings if necessary) in these sentences:

1. The man saw a trail of light dash across the __________________.

2. The city was crushed by the _______________ of the German army.

3. There are still ____________ acts that happen, even though many have been taught the horrors of the Holocaust.

4. The ____________ reached out her hand and we could not help but give her food.

5. He was _____________ to the princess since the time of his birth.

Definitions: Match the new words with their dictionary meanings.

6. waif ___ a. the vault or expanse of the heavens; the sky

7. firmament ___ b. (1) to attack with bombs, shells, or missiles; (2) to assail persistently, as with requests

8. anti-Semitic ___ c. one who discriminates against or who is hostile toward or prejudiced against Jews

9. bombardment ___ d. a homeless person, especially a forsaken or orphaned child

10. betrothed ___ e. to promise to marry

Jewish Terms
Torah – The primary source in the Jewish religion is the Hebrew Bible, consisting of twenty-four books divided up into three sections. The Torah includes the first five books of the Bible.

Talmud – Next in importance to the Hebrew Bible is the Babylonian Talmud, a collection of teachings of early rabbis from the 5th and 6th centuries.

Holocaust Vocabulary
Day 2
New Words:
Fascism billet laden anecdotes treatise

Amnesty International
Open a newspaper, turn on a television or radio and you are immediately struck by the cruelty that touches every corner of the world. In some countries groups of terrified women, men and children are targeted in armed conflicts by Fascist governments. Some governments force the people to billet the oppressive troops in their regime even though the common people have little living space as it is. In others courageous individuals languish in jail for expressing their views. Countless anecdotes could be told to show the horrors of countless human rights violations occurring each day.
Whoever you are, wherever you live, there is something you can do to prevent these gross violations of human rights from continuing. Don’t simply become laden with guilt and sadness. Speak out for human rights. Demand that these violations stop. Many don’t find the time to write a treatise to their congressmen regarding all of these violations, but you can still do something. Make your voice heard by joining Amnesty International's network of more than a million activists around the globe.

Sample sentences: Try your hand now at using your new words by writing them in their correct form (change endings if necessary) in these sentences:

1. The west blowing wind was __________ with heavy rain that caused the storm.

2. The student wrote a ________________ on what true democracy would look like.

3. The old man amused us with the dozens of ____________ he had for every occasion.

4. The soldiers tried to __________ their troops in the old convention hall.

5. The Nazis were a perfect example of _____________ in action.

Definitions: Match the new words with their dictionary meanings.
6. Fascism ___ a. weighed down with a load; heavy

7. billet ___ b. a system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

8. laden ___ c. a systematic, usually extensive written discourse on a subject

9. anecdotes ___ d. lodging for troops

10. treatise ___ e. a short account of an interesting or humorous incident

Jewish Terms
Cabbala – Hasidic Jews also read this mystical commentary on the Torah.

Rosh Hashanah – Marks the new year of the Jewish calendar.