Treblinka

TheparticularsoftheHolocaustareendless.Bluntshovelsasapreferredmethodforhackingprisonerstodeath.Childrendumpedlivingintoditchesofflame.Medicalexperiments.Lampshades.Soperversearesuchdetailsthatsimplytomentionthemseemsshameful.StatisticallytheHolocaustislessim-mediatelysickeningbecauselesssharplyseeable;butheretoo,realitytakesonafeelingofunrealitywhichterrifies.Extermina-tionof9,0oo,ooopeopleinfiveyears,atleast6,ooo,oooofthemJews,amillionofthemchildren.Deathcampssoefficientthat20,00ohumanbeingscouldbe"processed"wtumedfromfleshtosmoke--eachday.TheboastofTreblinkawas"fromdoortodoorinforty-fiveminutes"--fromopeningthecattlecarstoslammingshutthegaschambers.Asanitemizationofeviltrulydemonic,therecordoftheHolocaustgoesonandon,norcanwesumitsmeaning,nordoesitceasetohauntusdeeply.AtYaleUniversityintheearlyI97o's,forexample,StanleyMilgramperformedhisfamous"obedienceexperiments,"theaimofwhichwastodetermineatwhatpointapersonwouldrefuse,against"official"directives,tocontinueinaprocessofobvious!cruelty:Theresultswereunexpected.Afulltwothirdsofthose