Propaganda and Deception:  Terezín as a “Model Ghetto” and the Red Cross Visit

In this two-part module, students will study the story of Jewish conductor Rafael Schächter and a group of prisoners in the Terezín ghetto who learned to sing Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem as an act of creative resistance.  Students will study the complex nature of Terezín, exploring the harsh reality of daily life there and how, at the same time, the Germans used it as an effective propaganda tool.  They will learn about the visit of the International Red Cross on June 23, 1944 and the “beautification” efforts the Germans undertook to conceal the reality of conditions in the ghetto and its role in their genocidal plans.  Students will also consider the final performance of the Verdi Requiem in Terezín and its meaning in this context.