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From: Ruth I. Gordon <Druthgo>
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 10:42:30 -0800
Of general interest??--Big G
> More news from Europe
>> ?
>> ?
>> http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=19966
>> ?
>> Nazi Poems for Kids
>> By Jeremy Last
>> www.EJPress.org | October 28, 2005
>>
>>
>>
>> A poem which praises the murder of Jews by the Nazis has been
>> included in a book of children?s poetry to be distributed in U.K. The
>> publication, entitled Great Minds, features the work of school
>> children ages 11 to 18 who won a nationwide literary competition.
>>
>> But one poem has generated outrage amongst Jewish groups, politicians
>> and Holocaust charities for its anti-Semitic content. The entry by
>> the 14-year-old Gideon Taylor is apparently written from the
>> viewpoint of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It includes the lines "Jews
>> are here, Jews are there, Jews are almost everywhere, filling up the
>> darkest places, evil looks upon their faces." Another part reads:
>> "Make them take many paces for being one of the worst races, on their
>> way to a gas chamber, where they will sleep in their manger? I'll be
>> happy Jews have died."
>>
>> The Publisher's Defense
>>
>> The book was produced by Forward Press, who ran the Great Minds
>> competition through its youngwriters.co.uk website. Winning entries
>> were rewarded with cash prizes of up to 20ukp for pupils and 1,000ukp
>> for schools. According to the Jewish Telegraph newspaper, the poem
>> was the only entry in the entire book not to include the writer?s
>> school or location.
>>
>> Young Writers editor Steve Twelvetree, who also edited the book, said
>> the poem was included as it illustrated how the writer was able to
>> empathise with the infamous Nazi Fuehrer.
>>
>> Twelvetree told the Telegraph: "From Gideon's poem and my knowledge
>> of the National Curriculum Key Stage 3, his poem shows a good use of
>> technical writing and he has written his poem from the perspective of
>> Adolf Hitler.?
>>
>> The editor continued: "Key Stage 3 history requires pupils to show
>> knowledge and understanding of events and places - to show historical
>> interpretation and to explain significance of events, people and
>> places, all of which World War II and the Holocaust is part of.
>>
>> "The poem clearly states 'I am Adolf Hitler' and it recounts a
>> historical fact, something Young Writers and Forward Press are not
>> willing to censor."
>>
>> Widespread outrage
>>
>> However, community leaders were less than impressed with the poem?s
>> inclusion in a book which they said could be influential on
>> youngsters' views of Jewish people.
>>
>> Jon Benjamin, spokesman for the Holocaust Educational Trust?Chief
>> executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: "It is
>> totally insensitive and inappropriate for this kind of hatred to
>> appear... It is the duty of the publisher to consider the
>> consequences of the poem."
>>
>> He added, "It is also immensely insulting to those who lost their
>> lives in the Holocaust and to those who survived." The charity is now
>> urging the publishers to issue a formal apology for the book and
>> remove the offending poem.
>>
>> Jewish Labour MP, Louise Ellman, who represents the constituency of
>> Liverpool Riverside, spoke of her concern. "It's an incitement to
>> racial hatred. The words are absolutely outrageous and appalling."
>> ?
>>
Received on Tue 01 Nov 2005 12:42:30 PM CST
Date: Tue, 1 Nov 2005 10:42:30 -0800
Of general interest??--Big G
> More news from Europe
>> ?
>> ?
>> http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Printable.asp?ID=19966
>> ?
>> Nazi Poems for Kids
>> By Jeremy Last
>> www.EJPress.org | October 28, 2005
>>
>>
>>
>> A poem which praises the murder of Jews by the Nazis has been
>> included in a book of children?s poetry to be distributed in U.K. The
>> publication, entitled Great Minds, features the work of school
>> children ages 11 to 18 who won a nationwide literary competition.
>>
>> But one poem has generated outrage amongst Jewish groups, politicians
>> and Holocaust charities for its anti-Semitic content. The entry by
>> the 14-year-old Gideon Taylor is apparently written from the
>> viewpoint of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It includes the lines "Jews
>> are here, Jews are there, Jews are almost everywhere, filling up the
>> darkest places, evil looks upon their faces." Another part reads:
>> "Make them take many paces for being one of the worst races, on their
>> way to a gas chamber, where they will sleep in their manger? I'll be
>> happy Jews have died."
>>
>> The Publisher's Defense
>>
>> The book was produced by Forward Press, who ran the Great Minds
>> competition through its youngwriters.co.uk website. Winning entries
>> were rewarded with cash prizes of up to 20ukp for pupils and 1,000ukp
>> for schools. According to the Jewish Telegraph newspaper, the poem
>> was the only entry in the entire book not to include the writer?s
>> school or location.
>>
>> Young Writers editor Steve Twelvetree, who also edited the book, said
>> the poem was included as it illustrated how the writer was able to
>> empathise with the infamous Nazi Fuehrer.
>>
>> Twelvetree told the Telegraph: "From Gideon's poem and my knowledge
>> of the National Curriculum Key Stage 3, his poem shows a good use of
>> technical writing and he has written his poem from the perspective of
>> Adolf Hitler.?
>>
>> The editor continued: "Key Stage 3 history requires pupils to show
>> knowledge and understanding of events and places - to show historical
>> interpretation and to explain significance of events, people and
>> places, all of which World War II and the Holocaust is part of.
>>
>> "The poem clearly states 'I am Adolf Hitler' and it recounts a
>> historical fact, something Young Writers and Forward Press are not
>> willing to censor."
>>
>> Widespread outrage
>>
>> However, community leaders were less than impressed with the poem?s
>> inclusion in a book which they said could be influential on
>> youngsters' views of Jewish people.
>>
>> Jon Benjamin, spokesman for the Holocaust Educational Trust?Chief
>> executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: "It is
>> totally insensitive and inappropriate for this kind of hatred to
>> appear... It is the duty of the publisher to consider the
>> consequences of the poem."
>>
>> He added, "It is also immensely insulting to those who lost their
>> lives in the Holocaust and to those who survived." The charity is now
>> urging the publishers to issue a formal apology for the book and
>> remove the offending poem.
>>
>> Jewish Labour MP, Louise Ellman, who represents the constituency of
>> Liverpool Riverside, spoke of her concern. "It's an incitement to
>> racial hatred. The words are absolutely outrageous and appalling."
>> ?
>>
Received on Tue 01 Nov 2005 12:42:30 PM CST
