Shedding Light on the Holocaust

Johan van Hulst was the director of the Reformed Teacher Training College in Amsterdam. Nearby the college was a Jewish theater, which was cleared forcing all of the Jews to be deported by the Nazi government. After the deportation, left behind children were hidden, and sent next door nursery, run by Henriëtte Pimentel. There was then an “adoption” that occured and families would be able to “adopt” Jewish children without them being detected. Volunteers would take the babies from the nursery to the Reformed Teacher Training College. On September 29, 1942 the Nazis found out and sent about 100 children and Pimentel to the concentration camps. Overall, approximately 500- 1,000 Jewish babies and children were saved. The building which used to be the Reformed Teacher Training College became the Dutch National Holocaust Museum in 2016.

The Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, involve themselves in peace activities.  Quakers respond to human suffering because they believe that each person has an inner light of God. They worked in different internment camps, hiding all Jewish people. The relief programs run by the Quakers worked on assisting Jewish people out of Europe safely. When the Quakers brought these Jews to a safe place, they helped these refugees become adapted and helped them attempt to redevelop a normalized lifestyle after leaving Europe. The Quakers saved many of the Jews from facing the wrath of Hitler. 

Jewish refugees fled to Shanghai, where Chinese residents housed these Refugees in multiple refugee camps. These camps helped refugees develop a social and cultural life where they practiced what they believed. There were many different professional and amateur groups which provided a source of entertainment to these refugees. Many Chinese families put up their rooms to help the incoming refugees, so that they had a place to live. In Shanghai, there were not many hospitals so the Chinese formed areas where they took care of the hurt and injured Jewish refugees. This resulted in the Shanghai residents saving the lives of many Holocaust victims.

Living in a happy society is explained through the idea of positive psychology. When people are in a setting they are used to and well adjusted to, they are comfortable and content with where they are at. By the Chinese residents in Shanghai promoting a safe haven for these Jewish refugees, they were able to mentally and physically get back to their old lifestyles. This allowed their mind to somewhat be cleansed and filled with positive emotions, reminding them of old times. This atmosphere increased the levels of peace during the times of the Holocaust.

The United States joined the Allies to fight against the Axis. In January of 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the US board created the War Refugee Board. This board worked with different US Jewish organizations and other countries who were neutral to the rescuing of Jews in Europe. The relationship between the War Refugee Board and other organizations is demonstrated though the letter from Paul Baerwald to Franklin D. Roosevelt. This letter expresses his gratitude and appriciation towards the board. This board also focused on providing relief and help to those who were suffering in concentration camps. There was a psychological warfare campaign which opened up a refugee camp for all of the Jewish refugees who were mentally suffering. Along with this, there were also many houses, hospitals, soup kitchens and daycares created. In the end, the War Refugee Board rescued tens of thousands of Jews.