Kids of the Homefront Army: Whispers at Hebrew School

There is one front and one battle where everyone in the United States—every man, woman, and child—is in action and will be privileged to remain in action throughout this war. That front is right here at home, in our daily lives and in our daily tasks. Here at home everyone will have the privilege of making whatever self-denial is necessary, not only to supply our fighting men, but to keep the economic structure of our country fortified and secure during the war and after the war.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s radio broadcast to the nation, April 28, 1942

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Whispers at Hebrew School

Eben

WHISPERS AT HEBREW SCHOOL

Whispers

Whispers

Whispers growing

Louder

Louder

Louder words:

Condemnation

Deprivation

Exploitation

Retaliation

Concentration

Extermination!

What is the Hebrew word for enough?

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

3 comments:

Linda B said...: This means more to me this time, although I have read much about the Holocaust, this week I am reading a ya book title The Blood Lie, about the time before the Depression (so difficult economy) & about the rumors that fuel the hatred within a community. You've used the words & sadly we know what the actions are.; February 3, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Tara @ A Teaching Life said...: Like Linda, our class is reading a book that makes this poem all the more haunting - The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. This is a poem to be read aloud, I think - it has such a powerful cadence.; February 3, 2012 at 2:57 PM
Diane Mayr said...: Thank you, Ladies. I recently read Paul Janeczko's Requiem: Poems of the Terezin Ghetto. I'd recommend it for teens.

In working on the homefront book, I wondered how much news Americans received, both "official" and rumored, about the Jews in Europe.; February 3, 2012 at 5:45 PM