October 21, 2005
A poem that praises the murder of Jews by the Nazis has been included in a book of children's poetry to be distributed amongst schools in the United Kingdom. The publication, entitled 'Great Minds', features the work of school children aged 11 to 18 who won a nationwide literary competition. But one poem has generated outrage amongst Jewish groups, politicians and Holocaust charities for its anti-Semitic content. The entry by 14-year-old Gideon Taylor is apparently written from the viewpoint of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It includes the lines "Jews are here, Jews are there, Jews are almost everywhere, filling up the darkest places, evil looks upon their faces." Another part reads: "Make them take many paces for being one of the worst races, on their way to a gas chamber, where they will sleep in their manger. I'll be happy Jews have died". According to the 'Jewish Telegraph' newspaper, the poem was the only entry in the entire book not to include the writer's school or location. Steve Twelvetree, who edited the book, said the poem was included as it illustrated how the writer was able to empathize with the infamous Nazi leader.