Jewish children went through a lot during the Holocaust- physically, mentally and emotionally. Life was frightening and difficult for children who were in hiding during the rule of Hitler. These children tried to get rid of their Jewish identity by living illegally in the Christian world. Some of these children went into hiding, such as Leon Ginsburg, while others passed for Christians.
The process of Jewish annihilation varied with time, place and degree of cruelty, but the basic steps in the overall plan were the same. All of Hitler’s steps were designed to isolate the Jews from the rest of the population and rid them from Germany. They took away Jewish property and removed Jews from their homes into ghettos or transitory camps. Some Jews were sent to concentration camps, death camps for mass killing, and others were outright killed.
At the end of the war only six to seven
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They were not allowed to cry, had to be flexible, be good and obedient. Most of all they had to remain silent and not express any feelings or opinions. They did not trust the outside world or new people. This habit of distrust was detrimental in their lives of adapting to life after the war. The need to be silent has held back their ability to promote themselves in the work force and become successful because they are afraid of being too visible. It has also deprived them of having their needs fulfilled and allowing others to know what they think and feel.
Another reason the basic trust of hidden children is lost is because most children lived in hunger and under constant terror of being discovered. They had guns pointed at their heads asking them if anybody was hiding and warned if someone would be found they would be killed. Leon Ginsburg underwent a few of these traumatic experiences. At any moment they could be confronted with life and death decisions. As a result the basic trust one develops as a child was