Questions from the movie "Schindler's List"
Elie Wiesel, a student of the Holocaust, has said that "indifference" is the greatest sin of the Holocaust. Can you explain what he meant by this? How does this concept relate to the scene in which Schindler arranges to have the condemned Jews in the overheated box cars hosed down with water? Why does this act amuse the Commandment and other SS officials as they sit in the shade and sip their iced drinks?
The Holocaust might not have happened if the German people hadn't been indifferent. Few governments can rule without the consent of the majority of the governed. Wiesel believed that if the German people had protested the treatment of the Jews, that the mass might have been averted.
Consider this famous quote by the noted German Lutheran theologian, Martin Niemoller.
"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out --
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me -- and there was no one left to speak for me."
Obviously, the SS officials did not begin to understand the concern that Schindler had for fellow human beings. He was not indifferent. He cared.
Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and renowned author, meant that the indifference of individuals during the Holocaust was a grave sin. He believed that those who were silent and indifferent towards the suffering and persecution of others were just as responsible as those who actively carried out the atrocities.
In the movie "Schindler's List," this concept of indifference can be seen in the scene where Schindler arranges for the condemned Jews to be hosed down with water. The Jews were crammed into overcrowded box cars, experiencing extreme heat and dehydration. Schindler's act of having them hosed down was an attempt to provide them temporary relief from the suffocating conditions.
The amusement of the Commandant and the other SS officials who witness this act is a chilling display of their indifference towards the suffering of the Jews. They find amusement in the suffering and humiliation of the Jews because they saw them as less than human. Their indifference allows them to detach themselves emotionally and view the Jews as objects, rather than fellow human beings experiencing pain.
This scene highlights how indifference not only dehumanizes the victims but also allows the perpetrators to distance themselves from the consequences of their actions. It showcases the deplorable mentality of those who were responsible for perpetrating the Holocaust and illustrates the importance of speaking out against injustice and showing empathy towards those who are suffering.