Exploring Justice after the Holocaust

• Can justice be achieved after mass murder on the enormous scale of the Holocaust? How can we know whether or not justice has been achieved?
• Who was responsible for the crimes committed during the Holocaust? Who should be held accountable, and how? 

• Students will understand that the very definition of justice is contested, and so is the possibility of achieving justice after a crime as immense as the Holocaust.
• Students will understand that seeking justice after war and genocide is an inherently complicated and imperfect process.

This lesson is designed to fit into one 50-minute class period and includes:

• 2 activities 
• 1 handout
• 1 extension activity

Tell students that even before World War II ended, the Allies were discussing ways to hold Germany accountable for the war and the murder of millions of civilians. In those discussions, they encountered a variety of dilemmas and disagreements.

Some of the questions the Allies faced are described on the handout, Justice after the Holocaust Anticipation Guide. Distribute the handout and ask students to complete it by answering the questions and explaining their thinking.

After students have completed the anticipation guide, use the Four Corners teaching strategy to enable them to share and discuss their responses. Remember to allow students to change their positions if they are persuaded by their classmates in the course of the discussion.

Finally, debrief the activity with the class by leading a whole-group discussion based on the following questions:

• On which statements was there the most agreement in the class?
• On which statements was there the most disagreement?
• How many people changed their position during the discussion? Which arguments helped to persuade you to do so, if you did?
• What does this activity suggest about the challenges faced by the Allies in seeking justice after World War II and the Holocaust?

After the class finishes learning about the Nuremberg trials and other efforts toward justice after the Holocaust, consider asking students to review their responses to the Justice after the Holocaust Anticipation Guide. Did learning more about the Nuremberg trials and other attempts to seek justice and judgment after the Holocaust change students’ thinking about any of the statements?