Life After the Holocaust
Physical and Emotional Effects Experienced from Survivors
Physical and Emotional Effects Experienced from Survivors
"Freedom means everything. If you lose it, then you'll understand what it means to have it.
The Holocaust really did happen. ndescribable fears of not having food,
The word Holocaust is derived from the Greek holokauston, a translation of the Hebrew word 'olah', meaning a burnt sacrifice offered whole to God. This word was chosen because in the ultimate manifestation of the Nazi killing program- the extermination camps- the bodies of the victims were exterminated whole in crematoria and open fires. (Britannica)
Upon entering the concentration camps in 1945, Allied troops discovered piles of corpses, bones, and human ashes proving the mass genocide. These troops had also discovered thousands of Jewish and non-Jewish survivors suffering from starvation and disease.
Even after liberation Jewish survivors were afraid to return to their homes because of the antisemitism that still remained in parts of Europe. Anti-Jewish riots known as pogroms were a commonality, so many survivors lived with consistent fear. The largest porgrom took place in the town of Kielce in 1946 when at least 42 Jews were killed by Polish rioters, and also beat many others. (Holocaust Encyclopedia)