Newspaper Page Text
^Viewers Guide to
HOLOCAUST
by Edya Arzt
with "Issues lor Discussion with Children
by Bea Stadtler
and "Plot Summary,
by Alan D Bennett
On Sunday night April 16th and for the following three nights
the NBC television network will be broadcasting a nine hour
docu-drama called Holocaust Holocaust' will be a
fictionalized account of the destruction of European Jewry
from 1935-1945 It will be based on real events that will be
seen through the eyes of two fictional families
By the time April 16th arrives families throughout the
country will be preparing to sit down in front of their television
sets to begin an experience that may exert a profound
influence on young and old alike Jewish families will have a
very special stake in Holocaust" If happened to them If not
to them personally then to an aunt an uncle a relative a
parent a friend There is scarcely a Jewish family in America
today that is not personally connected in some way however
remote with the events of the 30 s and 40 s in Europe
. The Underlying Significance of “Holocaust"
There is a compelling significance to this docu-drama for all
who will be watching it Perhaps for the first time events
which have heretofore loomed larger than life on movie
screens, which have been written about and talked about
seen in museums and described in exhibits but which have
always seemed remote a part of history something which
happened to someone else, somewhere else—these events
will now be brought into our homes and living rooms
Although some of the players are historical characters
(Eichmann. Heydrich. Hitler) and the places familiar from
history books (Terezm. Auschwitz, Babi Yar). "Holocaust" is
basically about ordinary people, people like you and me
"Holocaust" will show parents and grandparents—making
their contribution to society, raising their children as decently
and honestly as they can It will show young people—bright
and idealistic, happy and in love, filled with a zest for life and
for living And it will show children, Peter and Laura, secure
alert, curious and questioning attractive and sympathetic
All of these are every day faces and everyday lives with
whom each one of us can and will identify
But the events are not everyday events Some of these
characters are involved in unspeakable crimes These i
crimes will disrupt and destroy the "ordinary" lives of nearly
all the Jews portrayed in the TV program And therein lies the
significance of the docu-drama. j
“Holocaust” Must Ba Viewed Differently From Other TV
Programs
Every night commercial television and the newscasts show
us scenes of murder and bloodshed, violence and terror
Inevitably we become bored and incapable of responding to
the overwhelming quantity of violence and death
What will "Holocaust" do to us? Will we be as insensitive to
the pain and agony, the lies, and the dehumanization of
individuals as we were to the horrors of the Viet Nam War or
the every day violence of the TV news and Kojak?
What will we as parents tell our children about the truly
unbelievable horror of the Holocaust—about what it means
for Jews who were its principal victims and what it says
about man's ability to oppress and destroy his fellow human
beings?
Levels Of Viewing “Holocaust"
The family watching -Holocaust" may do so on many levels
Parents must be ready to answer specific questions from
their children on the drama itself: Why did these events
occur? Why didn't anyone do anything to help? How could a
man love his children and try to bring them up the right way
while at the same time methodically planning the murder and
torture of innocent people? How could God let this happen
Parents must also be prepared to deal with the perhaps
unspoken question: “Can it happen to me? to us? here in
America? Are we safe?"
And further, parents must anticipate a deeper question
which will, given the times in Which we live, undoubtedly
cross a child's mind: "Is being Jewish really worth it all? Is it
that important?" Indeed, some parents may have to grapple
with that question themselves before attempting to answer it
for their children
At What Aga Should Chlldran Watch?
There is general agreement among educators who read the
script that this show should not be recommended viewing
Before the organized murder began German troops randomly
destroyed Jewish property and killed Jews throughout Poland.
for youngsters under ten years ot age. Indeed, some felt that
eleven or twelve might be an appropriate "minimum" viewing
age There can. of course, be no absolute guideline since
each child’s maturity level differs from every other child's:
but in general, we should be aware that this docu-drama has
some fairly explicit scenes dealing directly with the
concentration camps, the mafes graveside murders at Babi
Yar, and the "showers" at Auschwitz. Taken separately, these
kinds of incidents are not uncommon on TV but viewed
together as events that actually happened, they can create a
powerful and deeply disturbing impact on a child.
Whether or not your children are old enough to watch this
program, it is possible or even likely that they will be affected
by it It may be discussed in school or it may become a topic
of conversation among their friends In any case, these
guidelines should provide you with some kind of help in
handling this difficult subject with your child
tf You Do Not Want Your Children to Watch:
1 Do not forbid them to watch the program The likely result
will be that they will watch it anyway (they'll find a way) and
what is worse, they will force themselves to see it in its
entirety, even if they become upset and would rather not see
it, |ust to prove to you that they are old enough
2 Rather, suggest that, since this program will be on fairly
late at night, since it will portray instances of people being
unnaturally cruel to other people and of people suffering
horribly, and since some of the details will be very graphic,
they either watch another show at that time, or read, or go to
sleep. BUT
3 Offer to summarize the program for them Watch it
yourself, and plan to have a family discussion of some of thfe
key issues without getting involved in the details of the sfory.
which they will not have seen Utilize the dinner table or
Shabbat afternoon to raise some of the suggested "Issues
for Discussion With Children" (see below).
tf Your Children Arc Going to Watch “Holocaust"
Be sure to view the program with them, preferably as a
family, all in the same room. Cancel any appointments or
engagements you may have and be at home Follow the
suggestions given below to introduce "Holocaust" to your
family before April 16
Suggestions for Introducing “Holocaust" to the Family
1 Introduce the subject of the Holocaust by bringing
selected books into your home several weeks before April
16th Books such as I Never Saw Another Butterfly or The
Holocaust A History ot Courage and Resistance by Bea
Sfadtler are especially good ways to begin for children
In order to be most helpful to your children, it is also
important that you know as much as possible about the
Holocaust yourself and we therefore recommend that you
read any of several good general histories of the Holocaust
Of these The War Against the Jews (NY Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, 1975: also in Bantam paperback) by Lucy
Dawidowicz is among the best and is easily available in
paperback If you don't have the time for this much reading
we recommend that you read a pamphlet such as They
Chose Lite by Yehuda Bauer It is short, concise and factual
and can be obtained from The American Jewish Committee.
165 East 56 Street, New York, N Y 10022 for $1 25 per copy
Encourage all the adults in your family to read at least one of
these books Begin to use the word "Holocaust" and define if
for your children.
2 Announce the program schedule itself—dates, time, the
fact that it will be on national TV during prime time The family
will undoubtedly have seen and heard advance publicity
Indicate to your children how important you think the sub|ect
is If you have any personalconnection with the Holocaust
(family lost, cities visited after the war, army experiences,
etc.), discuss it with your children
3 You might begin, at the dinner table the week before, by
saying something like the following "There's going to be a
fascinating and important program on TV next week, and I
want us all to watch as a family It's about the Holocaust, the
years in which the Nazis were m power in Germany, and what
happened to the Jews in Germany, Austria, Hungry, Poland
and Czechoslovakia during those years What did happen to
those people—almost 6 million of them—is so important that
it has affected the lives of everybne in the world today,
including those who were not even born until after the Nazis
were destroyed. The world could never be the same after it
allowed Hitler to exert his evil will and murder so many
innocent people That's why the world must never forget
what happened in Germany, even though it is normal and
natural not to want to remember painful things.
We must struggle never to let it happen again—and all of
us must share in that struggle Jewish people were the
principal victims of the Nazis. Therefore Jewish people must
carry the message of remembering to the rest of the world
But everyone must remember and learn from what has
happened That's why it is important that our family not only
watch Holocaust', but prepare for watching it as well
4. Plan your family's viewing for the four nights. Schedule
no meetings or appointments; ask friends not to phone; plan
dinner hour so that everyone is relaxed and ready for TV,
have your children help set up the room; provide a note for
school if homework is not to be done, etc. All this may seem
trivial—but it reveals to your children how extremely
important and serious the subject is to you. and thus to them.
5 It is most important to let your children know that the story
described in "Holocaust" is based on real events A
complete historical analysis of the factual basis of the story
has been published and may be available to you through the
organization that supplied this guide The plot summary
included in this booklet should be of some additional help to
you in this regard If your children are able to understand this
material have them read it as well If not be prepared to
summarize it for them
When Viewing "Holocaust"
1 Gather the family together half an hour or so before each
segment is to begin Go over the list and description of each
of the characters Review the events of the previous episode'
and read aloud the summary of the episode you will be
watching ^
2. Refer to the "Issues for Discussion with Children" before
viewing >bu may not wish to discuss all these questions with
your children directly but they are a good guide to the points
which should be covered both before and after viewing m
an informal family discussion
«.
3 Be alert to your children s reactions as the program
unfolds If they become visibly upset, suggest that they not
continue watching Assure them that you will tell them what
happens Secondhand description is not nearly so traumatic
as direct viewing
4 Be alert, for yourself as well as for your youngster, to the
"beneath-the-surface" significance of the events being
depicted It is important to be constantly reminded that,
while the characters may be fictitious, these things really
happened This is not a "soap opera" or a made-tor-TV-
special."
5. When each evening's program ends, don't immediately
"scatter" Even if your children don't seem to want to react
verbally at all. even if it's late and they have to go to bed.
even if you have other things to do—turn off the set and
remain together for a while longer Have some refreshments,
talk—if not about the program you've just seen (it may be too
soon), then about other family matters. Don't be eager to