Human beings have been given intelligence greater than every other species that has ever existed on earth. We have created technologies and abilities that those who came before us might not ever have predicted. Our computers and other technologies will soon be able to perform tasks in a way that will probably challenge our own human ability to be able to keep up with it. However, humans have not made much progress in the ability to tolerate one another, peacefully share our resources, and basically just treat one another with dignity and respect that we are entitled to as humans. The photograph of the last Jew being murdered in Vinnitsa illustrates this inhumanity. The bystanders and the perpetrator, in The Last Jew in Vinnitsa, are as much victims of this crime against humanity as the defenseless Jews who already have been, or are about to be, murdered ("The"). Humans murder and commit genocide in the name of pride, religion, and support for one's country among other things. Our conscience too often surrenders to devotion and allegiance to an authority whose goals and methods oppose what is just and correct. As a result of intense propaganda and social conditioning, those who participate, whether they really have much of a choice, become living victims rather than dead ones. 

In the photograph, obviously the people in the mass grave and the man about to be killed are the true victims.  If we look at the bystanders we know that none of the soldiers seem to register glee or amusement, but seem indifferent to what is about to transpire with folded arms or hands on hips, almost all appearing dispassionate, detached and unconcerned. These men will have this experience to ponder for the remainder of their lives, and especially so should they survive the war and attempt to return to normal life.  The colorless appearance of the photograph assures the observer that this is a dark, bleak day, a dreary moment in time, as the last Jew in Vinnitsa is executed. Although the photo is still when looking at the picture, the eyes of the observer are drawn to the shooter as the men in the background all are looking at the executioner, directing us to his figure, the outstretched arm and pistol pointing at the helpless victim whose gaze suggests the hopelessness of the situation ("The").  The shooter might as well be pointing his other finger at the bystanders, as if to tell them that they are victims as well. The shooter and the bystanders are sentenced to a life with a mental image of atrocity as a constant reminder of their willingness to stand aside and do nothing. Silence is consent, and although Nazi indoctrination produced many fanatics who perpetrated genocide with great enthusiasm, the bystanders here were also victimized just like those who were slaughtered. This picture shows people don't have to be dead to be a victim, and the body language of indifference is evident throughout the photo among the faces of the living, even the last Jew.

As for the witnesses, there seems to be no expression of empathy, horror, or shock. They all share in their indifference and apathy to what is happening. It seems as if none of them care. There is no evidence of dignity or pride among the murderers; no expression of honor or satisfaction. All those alive in the picture, including the victim, are witnessing or experiencing what is about to happen without much emotion. The bystanders have folded arms and blank stares and one even has his hands in his pockets suggesting that they are resigned and there is nothing to be done ("The"). They all may have cared about the circumstances that brought about this situation, and certainly the man about to be shot knows he is about to join his people who lie beneath him, but he seems to be resigned to his fate as nothing whatsoever can be done to alter the impeding act or rectify its impact. He most likely is aware, if he indeed is the last Jew in Vinnitsa, that there is no escape from the evil of Hitler's policies.

The feature of the mass grave, with its pile of anonymous Jews awaiting yet another soon to join them is representative of all who have suffered an injustice as a result of the inherent tendencies of man to turn violent and problem solve by eliminating perceived threats, real or not ("The"). Perhaps if the faces of the departed were staring at the group of witnesses as if pleading for them to do something or at least examine their consciences, the bystanders might exhibit more sympathy or even appear horrified. That would show weakness and would betray their true feelings to their superiors or their spies, and the resulting punishment as a traitor would be horrific. The bodies lying in the mass grave, faceless in their anonymity, reflect the reality of mortality, a reminder to the soldiers that, as in any conflict, their lives may suffer a painful and abrupt end at any moment in combat.  Certainly, the great majority of German soldiers, true Nazi or not, considered themselves Christians, and as such had a belief in conscience. This day, when The Last Jew in Vinnitsa was sacrificed to the concept of a master race, those consciences became victims of the ruling class and their intolerance to dissent among their disciples.  The photograph is a portrait of collective victims as hatred certainly is self-punishment.

The photographer probably never realized that the composition of the photograph would be so compelling, induce such emotion, and capture the horror and consequence of a symbolic period. The impending death of an individual is recorded ("The"), the shooter pointing that out specifically, but those who should be and probably are victimized the most are all of us who have the opportunity to examine the photograph and realize that the final solution has victimized everyone then, now, and in the future.  Fanaticism and cruelty continue to haunt us. The focus has shifted from the final solution and Europe, to jihad, ISIS, and the Middle East where those who are determined to create another society without the infidel have posted videos instead of a still photograph.  Today as yesterday, those who perpetrate violence in the name of anything to which they are devoted victimize all of us.
