MovieChat Forums > Anne Frank: The Whole Story (2001) Discussion > Would you save a Jewish Family?

Would you save a Jewish Family?

posted 18 years ago by merfwriter
72 replies | jump to latest

For anyone who is a Christian or non-Jew, think about this. If you lived in WWII Eourope and had Jewish friends would you help save them even if the punishment for hidding a Jew ment death? Even if you were one of their few or only gentile friends who could help them, would you do it?

I have Jewish friends that I have known since I was a baby and they have been almost like family. We have watched each other grow up together and particapated in special events through out our lives. I thought about this topic a few times. If my family and the Silverman family lived during the time of the Holocaust, would we have helped our friends out even if it ment risking our own lives? I took a lot of the things that are sanifficant to us today and applied it to the past.

Most of the friends the Silverman's have are Jewish and my family is one of the few gentile friends they have.

Another factor that I considered was that their only daughter has Downs Syndrome, another no no on what the Nazis considered as pure or not pure. Ok Jewish and has Downs. That's not good!

The other thing that I considered was my family's own morality. What do we consider to be moral and right. Would we become frightened like a lot of gentiles were at the time. Fearing our own deaths. Would we be selfish and say "NO, we are not going to help you because we are afread of getting killed" and then turn our backs on our friends? What kind of frind is that? Or would we have a big heart and hide our friends and cheat death at the same time? After some thought, knowing my parents, who have big hearts and who like do the right thing, we would probably risk it and help save our friends from death. We would probably do it for the sake of their daughter and we would do everything we could to save her and her family.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Maddie-Lyn 18 years ago

Absolutely, I would definitly put my own life out on the line to save a Jewish friend or family. I wouldn't turn them away, because what if I were in the same situation? I would want them to help me too.

Pirate for life<<3

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[–] merfwriter 18 years ago

This isn't about Anne Frank, unless you want to compare morality to what Miep Guies and her colleags did to help the Franks out but your talking about money. Now if you are going by some stariotypical therory that Jews have lots of money and want to milk them for all they are worth, then no sir. Hey, there are poor Jews out there you know.

This isn't about money, this about human lives. I wouldn't even consider their current financial position and their gross projected earnings.

If we didn't have enough money to finance the family's food, clothes, toiletries
ets., then we might talk to the family and work something out money wise. They might offer to pay money to cover food costs and for other things. Maybe even pay for it after the war but this is about life and friendship, money shouldn't be an issue.

Secondly, sir, Anne Frank was a teenage girl who went to school, she never worked a day in her life. She wasn't an author who wrote novel's, she was doing that for her own plessure. She had dreams of becoming an author but as many of you know, those dreams did not come true in the way she wanted them to because she died in spring of 1945 in the Bergen-Belson concentration camp. Anne never had a say in the publication of her diary, unless some where there might have been writen her ideas of getting the diary published some day but she wasn't there to conferm the desision to do so. It was Anne's father who read the diary, after he came back from the concentration camps to Holland, who desided to publish the diary into a book. He did it in memory of his daughter. So in spirit Anne is an author just like she dreamed of becoming and is famuse.

[–] Alex_H_86 18 years ago

That very much depends on circumstance. I would always try and help people out whenever possible (money etc would never be an issue) but there's nothing to say that if I lived in WW2 Europe that I wouldn't be batting for Hitler's team and therefor, as disgusting as I find the holocoust to be, I could not say yes to this question because I may very well have been an Axis soilder, so, to look at it from that perspective, I dont know.

[–] WarBringer 17 years ago

I kinda agree with aussiefttfan

I mean, it's so easy nowadays to say "Oh, Hitler is so evil, I would definetly help a Jewish family!" and I say the same thing.

But times were different back then, and it was harder to hide a Jewish family than you think

[–] fashion_freak 17 years ago

I would hide a jewish family.

i love fashion.

[–] Alex_H_86 18 years ago

I certainly hope your refering to the Russians and not the Jews. As I have said, I am Pro-Nazi, but still, I am not Anti-Jewish.

[–] Nnn000 18 years ago

so you're pro Nazi but not anti-Jewish. Does that mean you're anti-Slav, homosexual and gypsy then?

[–] Alex_H_86 18 years ago

I am not a Nazi, I just share many of there views. Cant someone have a political belief without them needing to want to wipe out an entire race? I have said many times that I find the holocaust a sick and dispicable thing and that wont change, dispite my political beliefs that happen to lay on the far right.

[–] Nnn000 18 years ago

You didn't answer my question though. What are your views on those people?

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Nnn000 18 years ago

You haven't really made anything clearer as you still didn't say what your views on Slavs, homosexuals and gypsys are. But why do you think it was more Churchill's fault than Hitler's?

[–] Alex_H_86 18 years ago

Slavs : No Opinion (I havn't studied them enough to have a particular opinion

Gypsys : No Opinion (I havn't studied them enough to have a particular opinion)

Homosexuals : Homosexuality amoung the worse sins there are and should be treated as such, it's morally and physically wrong, it's un-natural, it's possibly the most impure things anyone (man or woman) can do. Clear enough for you?

Why I believe Winston Churchill is more at fault than Adolf Hitler? Because Hitler never wanted war with the western countries to begin with, even when the British were dropping bombs on Berlin (NOTE: The Brits, at Churchill's personal orders, where droppong bombs on German civillions), Hitler continually refused to allow the Lufftwafer to bomb British cities, in an attempt to make peace with the British, whereas, at the same time, Churchill would say things such as "I want a war". Churchill was out to make war at all costs, with a country that had no interest in fighting it.

Judge the Nazi's all you want, but read the fulll story before you do, you may get a litle suprise with what you find out.

[–] Nnn000 18 years ago

The war started while Chamberlain was in power, not Churchill. And you're right, Hitler never wanted war with western countries, he only wanted them subdued immediately. Britain had followed a policy of appeasement for years before the war, and had stated that they would protect Poland if it was invaded. When Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland the Luftwaffe dropped thousands of tons of bombs on Polish towns and cities, including civilian targets and Red Cross hospitals. Speaking of civilian casualties, The Germans also killed 20,000 Poles between the outbreak of war and October in Operation Tannenberg. It was only right that the Brits followed through on their promise to help Poland.

Your sense must be very shrouded if you can be a Pro-Nazi, and the only surprise that I would have regarding the Nazis is their cruelty. Use your head, if you were pro-Nazi back then, they wouldn't care if you were alive or dead, you'd just be another fool willing to die for their cause.

[–] Alex_H_86 18 years ago

And Chamberlin quite when he couldn't take the heat. As far as Poland goes, they started the shooting when Hitler approached them about a peaceful way to annax the country, as they did in Austria the year before so as to get a frontier with Russia, whom Hitler planned to destroy, and thats a good thing.

Another thing about Poland is that the Russians are just as responsible as the Germans for what happened there, Hitler and Stalin had a pact stating that if 1 of those countries attacked Poland, the other would get half the country, and had Hitler waited for Stalin to make the first move, the consequences for Germany would have been disarsterous for Germany.

[–] lynn_chen 18 years ago

I 900000000000% would save as much people Hitler considered inferior especially Jews! To the aussiefttfan's story, I don't understand why you are a Nazi follower - they were up to no good. When I say 'no good' I mean undoubtedly evil! The Nazis and greedy Adolf started this wreck which cost tens to hundreds of millions of lives if no more. I often sincerely wished I would have time machine and go back to WW1 and murder him myself, a true sense of hatred for A.H.!

[–] Funniergirl 18 years ago

Your response to Homosexuals should have also been (I haven't studied them enough to have a particular opinion). Your answer is in error. You know nothing about homosexuality. You know nothing about being a nazi..You do know about white trash, though..Obviously!

[–] Degausser3 18 years ago

Yes i would give my right arm to save them.

"why don't you have pudding after breakfast?"

[–] MaraudersFan 15 years ago

Yes I would. Sometimes in life you have to do the right thing regardless of the consequences of those actions. People that hide jews knew the conseqeunces that could happen if they got caught but they still did it because it was the right thing to do.

To treat anyone in this manner regardless of their race, religions, sexuality is just sicken. The even sadder thing is that humans just don’t learn and don’t get it that’s the sad thing we are suppose to learn from our past but yet here in 2010 we still have genocides going on. We still have hate crimes and intolerance against certain groups. What is truly wrong with people?

[–] soneill 17 years ago

hey, aussiefttetc.

you couldn't be a pro-jewish nazi, unless you YEARNED to be sent to a death camp or strangled to death with piano wire. i've read a great deal about the holocaust. hitler used the jews to unite germany, which had fallen into combative disarray and poverty after that stupid treaty of versailles. people in distress need someone to blame for their troubles, and the nazis were happy to exploit the latent [and not-so-latent] antisemitism of many germans to provide them with a handy scapegoat. i've never encountered anyone who was pro-nazi; your position baffles me. why do you wish to associate yourself with the thugs, sadists, bigots and morons who occupied the highest offices in nazi germany? are you really in favor of machine-gunning naked people into mass graves you've first forced them to dig? do you like people who kill children? are you a fan of book-burning and state-sponsored censorship? would you enjoy beheading a rabbi or setting some orthodox guy's beard on fire? does the idea of being a robotized, heiling fascist appeal to you? or do you just hate people of certain nationalities or races or sexual proclivities? i got that you don't like homosexuals because they're "unnatural," an odd viewpoint when one considers how many of these "unnatural" beings God made. (and if you tell me homosexuality is a "choice," i want you to tell me about the day you "chose" to be heterosexual—that is, if you ARE heterosexual; it's only the biggest closet queens who have the energy to hate homosexuals with such vigor!)

hey, and how about those gas chambers? think you might like to be the guy who poured the xyklon-b through the hole up top?

please, please, PLEASE explain your fondness for nazism to me; i cannot for the life of me figure out its appeal to anyone with an i.q. over 50, the average hotshot nazi scoring somewhere in the mid to low 30s--

would i save a jewish family? i can only hope i would have the courage to do so; those who did are sipping cocktails with God up in heaven right this minute; and don't tell ME God doesn't drink—remember the wedding feast at cana!

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[–] pretty_rickysgurl 18 years ago

all the people writing in here are not thinking of anyone but themselves you are all mean

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] skittles_135 18 years ago

It would most defiantly depend on circumstance.
If i was a mother with children i don't know if i could put their lives in danger but if i was living alone and they were very close friends then of course i would consider it.

After studying the Nazi's at both G.C.S.E and A Level, you can't just say that the views the German people had at the time were wrong.

When Hitler came to power it was during the Great Depression and he was the best thing to happen to the country. He created thousands of jobs and brought down the mass unemployment to virtually zero.

The Nazi's were also great at propaganda and it's all very well to say you would hate the Nazi's if you lived at that time but we are saying this with the benefit of hinesight. People needed someone to blame for their problems and if the leeder of your country who was making life great was telling you that Jews were evil, it's more than likely you would go along with this.

[–] kane_hurtley 18 years ago

Good answer. So many people leaping up to say they would sacrifice their own lives for Jewish friends aren't really thinking of the consequences or even if they would really truly do it- nobody wants to admit they'd save themselves and their family first.

[–] rocknrollruby07 18 years ago

I don't think I could answer this question truthfully as I don't know how I would react if I was in that situation. Ofcourse, I would try and save as many people as possible, but I would always be terrified of being found out by the Gestapo.

[–] Funniergirl 18 years ago

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Hitler didn't create these jobs...He took the businesses and jobs away from the Jews and gave them to the Aryan Germans! Gdammit! I just dont have the patients for ignoramous comments like this..JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZ! (btw, I am a Jew and take this stuff quite personally)

[–] rocknrollruby07 18 years ago

Yeah, the jobs that Hitler gave were to bribe the Germans to vote for him. You see, Hitler was very sneeky, he was there when the Germans were at their most desperate (Depression in the 30's) and also, Hitler realised that the Germans would be easily persuaded into blaming someone for the situation they are all now in, so he targeted the Jews as a scapegoat.

[–] Funniergirl 18 years ago

Yeah..the jobs he Gave to the Germans were originally occupied by Jews. He began eliminating Jews from the German work for before WWII. This took place in Austria as well. My Great Grandfather owned a business and on March 13, 1938...the day of Anschluss was the day he lost his business when the Nazi party took over. Aryan Austrian's took his business...actually stole his business with the permission of the new government.

[–] owlfy 9 years ago

Yeah..the jobs he Gave to the Germans were originally occupied by Jews.

Yes, while he dropped the unemployment rate for non-Jews, Jews and women weren't a part of the unemployment statistics during the Third Reich. Who knows what the unemployment rate was with that taken into account.

[–] maddiemoiselle 18 years ago

I would definitly help. I would help even if I was the Jew!!!!! I think I had a dream about helping once....check out my message board, Anne Frank Movie: The Hiding

[–] Fifteen_Mintues_Of_Fame 18 years ago

I would. I would in a heartbeat....considering the fact that my Great Grandma Was a geramn Jew. Absolutly.

[–] alexbogue3889 17 years ago

Within a breath. I would work my behind off trying to as well.

[–] Party_like_a_band_geek 17 years ago

I think it's all talk

I would have in a microsecond save a Jewish family
or anyone

but if it really happened...that's hard

there are just some circumstances where you say you'll do it
but once it happens, everything changes

but my final response IS that I would've helped them

http://www.myspace.com/sucideath

[–] misske1982 17 years ago

Maybe, if I hadn't any family left.

But I would never endanger my own family to save people who don't mean that much to me, be they Jewish or not.

[–] Party_like_a_band_geek 17 years ago

I don't think that means anything to me.

"But I would never endanger my own family to save people who don't mean that much to me, be they Jewish or not. "

I don't care if I know them or not. If someone is trying to kill them because of who they are, I'll save them

http://www.myspace.com/sucideath

[–] misske1982 17 years ago

Quote Party_like_a_band_geek

I don't think that means anything to me.

"But I would never endanger my own family to save people who don't mean that much to me, be they Jewish or not. "

I don't care if I know them or not. If someone is trying to kill them because of who they are, I'll save them
__________________________________________________________________

I realize I might have been a little harsh, but I will explain myself a bit more. If I lived alone, I would help someone who was persecuted, even if I didn't know them. But as it is, I have a family. I would be inclined to help someone (or another family), but not until I had talked it through with my own family. If my family would agree, I would help in a heartbeat, but if they wouldn't... I don't think you have the right to endanger anyone else without their consent either. After all, when you helped a Jewish family you didn't just risk your own life, but that of your family as well. When the Nazis caught you, everyone was sent to a concentration camp.

And besides, I think it is easy to say now, 65 years later: "I would have done this or that", but life was different back then. We don't know what it was like to live in constant fear. The Gestapo was everywhere. They had informants in almost every street. You never knew whether your neighbor was going to turn you in if he heard you listening to the BBC...
I always think our generation wouldn't have reacted much differently from our grandparents: there were some who were courageous and fought back (in the resistance or by saving people who were prosecuted), then you had those who just minded their own business and did what they were told to stay out of trouble, and then there were the collaborators.

[–] Party_like_a_band_geek 17 years ago

Ok, now I get what you're saying. And now that you mention that, I would do the exact same thing. but if my family said no, I'd find a family that said yes and point them to the new family

*shrugs*

and you're right. Life was different back then. So who knows

http://www.myspace.com/sucideath

[–] lucypevensie10 17 years ago

I'm Jewish, always have, always will... and I'd like to think that someone would care enough for what is right and protect a Jew.. but I can see where some people would say no... in fear that everyone would get caught.. the hiders and the hosts.

My grandmother was 13 at the time of the Holocaust, she and her parents and sister were hidden. I wish someone would have hid me too.

[–] movieman-232 17 years ago

I don't particularly like any sort of religion, especially organised religion. But I can say without a doubt that I would have tried as hard as I could to save as many Jewish lives I could have. I'd have tried to save even more than just Jewish lives, though my spontaneity would have had me killed way before Hitler had come into power; I would've been killed in a fight with some national socialists after speaking my mind...it happened even before Hitler's rise.

[–] 17 years ago

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