“The last Jew in Vinnitsa”

The atrocities carried out by the Nazis and their supporters are well known and documented. But every time we come across a photograph like this, the atrocities committed are back to haunt us. In this picture the member of a Nazi death squad is just getting ready to shoot, possibly the last Jew in Vinnitsa. He is seen kneeling before an almost filled up mass grave in Vinnitsa in Ukraine. This is in 1941 and all the Jews in the surrounding areas with a head count of 28,000 were massacred. This iconic image was found in a German’s Photograph album with the words, “The last Jew in Vinnitsa”, written at the back. The man’s eyes are haunting and he does have a defiant look, even during his last moments.