Years ago, in a Chicago factory, I had conversations with an elderly Jewish co-worker. The usual barrier between black and white gradually lowered, and Sid (some names are unforgettable) revealed to me that he was born and grew up in Germany, but that his family left after Hitler came into power. Their sojourn took them through China, then to Canada, and finally to the U.S. Sid told me how good his early life in Germany had been; then, friends and neighbors who previously were friendly seemed to change overnight -- they became scornful and hostile.
Life, which at first was only difficult and uncomfortable, soon became unbearable. "We were dazed by the sudden change," Sid said. "We couldn't understand how hatred could appear so suddenly." I later read that's how many Jews in Germany felt at the time, so they refused to foresee or prepare for the horrors that would come.