Powerless
Powerless means feeling unable to control your life and the situation you are in. Feeing inferior and threatened. There have been lots of instances in Jewish history where Jewish people were made to feel powerless. Many artefacts display this however the lack of artefacts demonstrate the powerlessness of the Jewish people as they are unable to protect them. It is important to educate this and empower the people who were vulnerable.
By Tilly, Daniel and Katie
Explore the Collection
Pottery Fragments
Various dissembled parts of a pottery jug, which were excavated from a property in Catte Street in London. The jug was owned by Aaron Son of Vives and Son of Peytennus le Fort. They had been deliberately buried around 1290, when Jews were expelled from England.
This shattered pottery jug represents and symbolises the forcibly fractured lives of those who were expelled from Britain in 1290 for their Jewish faith. The brutal way in which this special possession was broken demonstrates the ruthless treatment of Jews in Britain in this period.
Do you think it’s important to recognise the centuries of Jewish persecution, from very ancient times (The Medieval Period) as it is not widely acknowledged?
Would this restore power to those who lacked it greatly when they were persecuted?
Tilly, Year 12
Concentration Camp Uniform
- Blue and white striped uniform, consisting of a long sleeved jacket, trouser and beret.
- Worn by Leon Greenman at Buchenwald camp.
- Numbers added by printer friend in France at the end of the war.
I chose this object because it represents the powerlessness of the Jews in the concentration camp as they were stripped of their identity, dignity and dehumanised through the wearing of the uniform and by replacing names with numbers. This would invoke empathy for the victims by anyone who sees the uniform and also it would create a sense of anger and powerlessness for the audience as they could not do anything about the cruel treatment of the prisoners.
How would you feel to have your dignity and humanity stripped from you and you could do nothing about it?
Daniel, Year 12
Yellow Star Badge
A yellow felt badge in a star shape with writing signifying that the person wearing the badge was Jewish. These were forcibly given to Dutch Jewish people in the Netherlands after 1942.
The badge was not only forced upon Dutch Jews, making them feel physically threatened, but its identification and isolation of those who wore it meant that they were unable to avoid or escape persecution. This left many Dutch Jews during the war feel completely exposed, vulnerable and powerless.
How do you think people felt wearing this badge for the first time?
What connotations does the star shape give to those who were forced to wear it?
Tilly, Year 12
Evelyn Finkler's Photograph Album
This object is an old photo album with rectangular black-and-white photographs of Evelyn Finkler with her family with short hand-written labels underneath stating what is depicted in the photograph and the date that it was taken. This was given to Evelyn when she was nine by her parents before she had to leave Vienna in 1938, alone, on the Kinder Transport.
This photo album presents the feeling of powerlessness as it was given to a nine year old girl who had to leave her family on her own and had no idea if she would ever be reunited with them again. Having to flee alone at such a young age with only one small bag that contained all that was left of her life, including this photo album, was all that she would have left of her family until they joined her a while later.
Do you think that you would be able to reduce your whole life in one small bag and all your memories in one photo album?
Katie, Year 12
