Living in constant fear, the Diamantstein family fled from place to place—to a large Jewish community in Frankfurt; to the apartment of friends in Milan, Italy; to Como, Italy, escaping barefoot in the snow to the other side of the Swiss Alps. Trying to dodge German patrols, they still wound up in a German work camp. When the war ended, they eventually moved to South Carolina where Leo Diamantstein is an interpreter and teaches classes at Furman University. He says, "This happened there; it can happen anywhere; we want to make sure it never happens here. Stand up for your human rights. You have no idea what people might be in power or what they might do. Know your rights and remember them."
Standards
- Along with the rest of the world, the United States and South Carolina experienced economic instability during this period. As a result, political instability and worldwide conflict consumed the world in the 1940s. Following World War II, the United States emerged as a world leader through political policies and economic growth.
- The modern era has seen an increase in global interdependence culturally, economically, and politically since 1920. The advent of technology has fueled the interconnectedness of the world. Civil rights and independence have been at the forefront of this era; however, tensions remain in how to achieve these goals.
- This indicator was designed to promote inquiry into military and economic policies during World War II, to include the significance of military bases in South Carolina. This indicator was also developed to foster inquiry into postwar economic developments and demographic changes, to include the immigration of Jewish refugees following the Holocaust.
- This indicator is intended to encourage inquiry into the significant causes of World War I and the impacts of the Treaty of Versailles, including its failure to prevent future global conflicts.