Having grown up in Europe my entire life, I had a close connection to the lecture given by Ellie Shapiro. The connection he demonstrated to the Holocaust and the music played or influenced during this period was quite emotional. You could hear it in his voice and the way he expressed himself that the connection was strong. To begin, he opened by explaining to everyone what exactly the Holocaust was and how it affected Jews around the world. He posed the question "who knows what the Holocaust is?". Needless to say, the room was silent for a period of time before some responded with "it was the mass killing of Jews during the World War. Say no to plagiarism." Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay” She responded with “Yes, but it was much more than that. “ This perplexed me because I was always taught that's exactly what it was. This is what attracted me from the beginning. The definition provided a deeper understanding of who killed the Jews and how they were treated. It alleged “the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime (1933-1945), its allies and collaborators.” they acted. This struck an emotional chord in my heart as I believe that mistreating people based on their beliefs and practices is beyond wrong.² Being Irish, mistreatment and torture are part of our history due to the war we had with the United Kingdom and understanding how mistreatment from others, because they don't like what you do, can be disheartening to a group of people and the way they live their lives.³ The simple fact that the main culprit was Hitler and that he firmly believed that his people were the “perfect” human beings” according to 'Diging Into The Past.' His mission was to create a "perfect race" that included only people he approved of and who fit the description of blonde hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes. They would have been part of the “superior race” and the Jews would have been part of the “inferior race”. On top of all this, the Germans also targeted anyone they believed was racially and biologically inferior to them. In other words, they were rounding up and killing en masse those who were simply not Germans. Some of these groups included “Roma (Gypsies), people with disabilities, some Slavic peoples (Poles, Russians and others), Soviet prisoners of war and Afro-Germans,” according to the presentation provided by Ellie. Beyond that, people were executed based on their political beliefs, ideologies, and behavioral motives, which included how they behaved in public, how they practiced their beliefs, and what events or things they participated in. In the year 1933, the Jewish population amounted to approximately 9.5 million people and continues to increase.² During this period the vast majority of Jews lived in Nazi Germany and surrounding countries such as Belgium, Poland and the Soviet Union, according to the 'Holocaust Encyclopedia. In other words, these countries occupied the world during World War II. As part of the “Final Solution,” they thought killing ⅔ Jews would be the best way to do things. To say that this was inhumane would be an understatement, however, the Germans and Hitler, in particular, saw it as the solution to all the problems that were going on in Europe at the time. You might wonder why or how does this have anything to do with Jewish music? Good question. During all this time music was a way out for the Jews, they found comfort in music and thethey played or listened as much as they could to take their minds off what was happening outside their lives. Jews were mistreated throughout Europe, but especially in Germany and surrounding countries. Therefore, they needed something to take their minds off what could potentially happen to them at any given moment.⁴ In 1938, an overwhelming amount of degenerate music was released that encouraged Jews to stay positive and have faith in God who would help them overcome this difficult moment. The text included "I believe, I believe, with complete confidence in the coming of the Messiah, I believe, and though he has delayed in coming, I believe." Jews used music as a relaxation resource during the Holocaust to release any tension or worries they may have had on their shoulders. I mean, I know I needed something to distract me from all the terrible things that were happening to my people. If you think about it, every day thousands of people are killed simply for being themselves. They go about their daily lives, work, take care of their families, and try to get an education to grow and explore the world. Yet, as you try to carry out these tasks, the military is moving into the areas where you and your family live, capturing and killing them to be part of the "solution". -Ellie Music was a place they could go in comfort. During World War II, European Jews were under the rule of Nazi Germany and were forced to live in inhumane conditions in concentration camps where they would suffer constant hunger, disease, and death. However, there were people who maintained hope, hope through music, whether by composing or playing. It is said all over the world that music is a universal language. It is considered a way for everyone around the world to communicate regardless of the language barrier. Music is a way to convey a powerful message and allow everyone to receive that message. The ways in which instruments are played or the variation of voices or countermelodies that existed in all pieces of music.³ Music composed or performed during the Holocaust provided people with a semblance of emotional comfort and distraction from their horrific realities: “Music has given us so much, to escape even just for a few moments into a 'normal' world” explains Greta, a survivor of the Terezin ghetto. Although they could not physically escape the torture, the music represented a mental release from the terrible reality that was happening. Most importantly, music gave people that hope mentally, gave them hope not to give up, and in theory, saved their lives. Even though the Nazis treated European Jews so badly, they also appreciated music and therefore gave special treatment to those who could compose or play music. This allowed musicians to be employed and sustain better living conditions which in return would provide a healthier lifestyle. However, some musicians were forced to play for Nazi entertainment and were seriously underpaid and mistreated. The saddest story of all is that they were forced to play as they watched their family and friends march to the gas chambers before being executed. The 'useful' ability of those musicians was undoubtedly a terrible and traumatic experience, but one that often saved their lives: "the cello really saved my life because being in this orchestra was a way of surviving because as long as they wanted music it wouldn't be silly to put us in the gas chambers,” explains Anita, an Auschwitz survivor. In theory, survivors of this terrible time mean that music creates a great emotional attachment to future generations of survivors./