Holocaust

The systematic, state-sponsored murder of at least 5 million Jews and millions of other people by the Germans and their collaborators during WWII.

Shoah

Hebrew word for Catastrophe, calamity, or holocaust

Why were the Jews persecuted?

Hitler’s vision of an Aryan German race (100% German) did not include Jews and other groups of people. He was jealous of the Jews, blamed them for the crippling German economy, and Christians traditionally blamed the death of Jesus on the Jews.

Anti-Semitism

Prejudice against, or hatred for Jews.

Semitic

A member of any of the various ancient and modern people originating in southwestern Asia, including Akkadians, Canaanites, Phoenicians, Hebrews, Arabs, and Ethiopian Semites.