入圍
姓  名 陳宣汶 學  校 國立新竹女子高級中學 年  級 二 年 十一 班

 

 

Number the Stars

Back in 1940s, the world suffered an unprecedented disaster----World War II, not only in economy but also in humane category. In Europe, especially, Jews lived in torture because of the Nazi’s unfair race policy. It was truly a severe time for them no matter in physical part or mental part.

Number the Stars tells the story between a Danish girl Annemarie Johansen and her Jewish friend, Ellen Rosen. The Rosens lived a happy life in Copenhagen, but everything changed after the German soldiers occupied every block in the city. One day, the colonial government announced their brand new policy. That is, they would “relocate” all the Jews of Denmark and the timing was on the Jewish New Year. How sarcastic! New Year is a time for family reunion, but that New Year was a detached one. The Rosens were definitely on the list. The Johansens, being their loyal friends, decided to help the Rosens escape to a safe place. Hence, they started an impressive journey testing their reliance and loyalty. This story is a miniature of the Danish Resistance, which is a patriotic organization helping Danish Jewish escape from Denmark.

That was an indelible stain in human history. No one should be treated like that no matter how disgusting he or she is. Every ethnicity has equal value to earn their own living and enjoy their lives on the planet which means no one can arbitrarily expropriate others’ human rights including lives. The Nazi had no rights to “punish” Jews especially with the ridiculous reason. Fortunately, there are still some kind people like the Johansens and Peter. In many cases in human history, one ethnicity maltreats another is common even in modern society. For instance, wars between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam.

Viewing in wider aspect, tens of thousands of Jewish from all over the world went to Palestine, or Israel, and drove Palestinian away just because Palestine is their “homeland”. Isn’t that a torture to the Palestinian? At the same time when the Jewish returned to their homeland which they left two thousand years ago, the Palestinian left their home which they have lived for two thousand years. It is totally unfair to the Palestinian, but why isn’t there any country in the world say something to support them?

I have been thinking about this question when I first know about the tragedy of Jewish and Palestinian. After doing some research, I think I got the answer. That is, helping Palestinian isn’t a profitable deal to most of the countries. I was very shocked after I know about the truth because it completely subverted all the concepts that my education gave me. Every adult tells me we should help a person in need, but they don’t do that themselves because it isn’t “profitable”. Since that second, I have realized that there isn’t any stable thing in the real world-----even humanity. Maybe the most stable thing in the world is children’s friendship, like Annemarie and Ellen’s.