All but My Life

TABLE OF CONTENTS HOLOCAUST STUDIES UNIT Eleventh Grade English Curriculum - All But My Life

GOAL: The overall goal of this unit is to sensitize students to the plight of the ordinary person facing the atrocities of the Holocaust.

TEXTBOOK CONNECTIONS: Prentice Hall Literature, The American Experience, Unit 6, pp.1162-1174, From Hiroshima, John Hersey and Losses, Randall Jarell (Poem)

The selections in this section all present implied themes of World War II and the innocent loss of life associated with war. The poem, Losses, recounts the tragedy of the soldiers lost in battle. In All But My Life, Holocaust Survivor, Gerda Weissmann Klein recounts her three-year experience as a slave laborer for the Nazis and her liberation by American soldiers in May of 1945 (just three months before Hiroshima). She later went on to marry her American liberator.

As you read these three selections (excerpt, poem, and novel), discuss the tragedies of war through the experience of a civilian, soldier, and Survivor.

LANGUAGE ARTS BENCHMARK: LA.A. 1.4.1. The student selects and uses pre-reading strategies that are appropriate to the text, such as discussion, making predictions, brainstorming, generating questions, and previewing to anticipate content, purpose, and organization of a reading selection.

CHARACTER EDUCATION CORRELATION: PILLARS: Responsibility, Fairness, Citizenship, and Respect

ESOL STRATEGIES: Read Alouds, Modeling, Visuals, Realia, Alternative Assessment, Prior Knowledge

ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life

TABLE OF CONTENTS HOLOCAUST UNIT ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life

Novel: All But My Life

Activity One KWL and Introduction of All But My Life v-viii ...... 3

Activity Two All But My Life – Discuss pages 11-32 ...... 7

Activity Three All But My Life – Discuss pages 33-64, Quiz 1 ...... 10

Activity Four All But My Life – Discuss pages 65-92 ...... 18

Activity Five All But My Life – Discuss pages 95-123, Quiz 2...... 23

Activity Six All But My Life – Discuss pages 124-153 ...... 30

Activity Seven All But My Life – Discuss pages 154-184, Magic Square ...... 32

Activity Eight All But My Life – Discuss pages 185-210 ...... 35

Activity Nine All But My Life – Discuss pages 213-240 ...... 36

Activity Ten All But My Life – Discuss Conclusion, Final Test and Essays . . . . 38

Activity Eleven Video: Compare and Contrast ...... 46

To borrow class sets of books, videos, posters, or to schedule a Survivor to speak to your school, please contact the Center for Holocaust and Human Rights Education at (561)-297-2929 or e-mail at [email protected]

ACTIVITY ONE

Objectives

• To appreciate the changes brought to normal life in Poland with the Nazi invasion.

Materials

• Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995.

Homework

• Read All But My Life pages 11-32, Part I, Chapters 2-5.

Activities

1. Introductory discussion: • What are your future career expectations? Most will reply college, post high school training, jobs, marriage, and families. • Imagine what it might be like for you to do this without a family, original home base, or friends to fall back on due to circumstances over which you have no control. Such is the case for the protagonist in the book they are about to read. 2. Use the KWL sheet (page 5) to elicit responses to what students already know about the Holocaust and what they may still be interested in learning. 3. Read the opening paragraph (page 1) from the novel aloud. • What is the meaning of the metaphor of the watch? Time, the present as Jews in Poland know it, has come to a standstill. • Tell about a time in your lives when time has seemed to stand still. Maybe a tragic moment – adults have used this expression relating to the deaths of Presidents Kennedy and Roosevelt or about the explosion of the Challenger. We tend to think of events that shake us to our very being; such is the Holocaust. • What are other words you have heard to describe the Holocaust? They may have heard genocide, or Shoah, in Hebrew, the word “Shoah” means catastrophe of cosmic proportion.

4. Complete the first chapter reading it out loud. • How does Gerda begin the novel? In the past, or future? Gerda looks back and notes that her life, after the invasion, becomes one with which she has no familiarity; it seems almost dreamlike, a nightmare, and for which she had no preparation. • What is your impression of Gerda’s hometown? Charming, pretty, old world, quaint, cosmopolitan. This town is different from the impression many people have of pre-war Poland. It is not a shtetl, a rural village inhabited by Orthodox Jews; but instead it is a modern community close to the borders of Czechoslovakia and Germany. • Gerda’s family seems to be much more cognizant of the impending Nazi peril. How do we know this? Her uncle has obtained visas for them to emigrate to Turkey; however, because of her father’s mild heart attack, her mother decides that they must remain in Poland. • The theme of the watch reoccurs with the arrival of Nazi soldiers. What is their reception, and how does this affect Gerda? They are greeted as liberators by the Weissmann’s Polish neighbors and given liquor and flowers. Gerda is shocked by what she considers betrayal by people she has known all her life. • Gerda says that on the first day of the war she realizes that, “We were outsiders, strangers in our own home, at the mercy of those who until then had been our friends.” What does she mean by, “own home”? Poland. Although Jews had lived in Poland for 600 years, they are seen as outsiders. They have not attained equality socially or legally, and the distinction always is made between being a Jew or a Pole. To the Poles there is no such thing as a Polish Jew; Poles are Polish and Catholic and Jews are alien. Even though Jews serve in the Polish army and in government, most Poles do not view Jews as Poles. • What is the impact of the first day of German occupation on Jewish lives? Some Jewish men are arrested, others are taken from the street and placed inside a synagogue, which is set afire. England and France declare war on Germany. • Does it seem strange that the neighbors display a Nazi flag? Some Poles indicate they are German supporters; some to insure their safety; Jews do it so their homes don’t attract Nazi attention.

K W L What We Know What We Want to Learn What We Learned

Printed with permission of MAPS101.com Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 6 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life

ACTIVITY TWO

Objective

• To understand the impact of German rule on Jewish life.

Materials

• Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995. • Handout: “Figurative Language Worksheet” • Video: The Twisted Cross and/or Our Century

Homework

• Read All But My Life pages 33-64, Part I, Chapters 6-8.

Activities

1. The teacher should consider showing an excerpt from a video such as: The Twisted Cross, Our Century or another study of the impact of the Nazi onslaught to help students to understand the historical context in which Gerda’s story takes place. Additionally, the video that accompanies the novel, All But My Life, One Survivor Remembers, can be shown in chronological segments or at the end of the unit. Let students decide if they would like to watch each segment after they read the novel, or see the video in its entirety at the end of the unit. All videos are available for loan through the Holocaust Outreach Center at FAU (561) 297-2929.

2. Discuss pages 11-32, chapters 2-5. • What surprised you about the immediate impact of the German take over? Jews who had fled and returned to their homes find that their possessions and homes have been confiscated by the Germans, or their Polish neighbors, or their former employees. Valuable Jewish businesses have been appropriated including the fabrics produced in Bielitz, a textile center. Jews are required to turn over their valuables. Jewish men fearing arrest or worse no longer make themselves visible. • Why are radios among items which must be handed in? The Germans want to keep Jews in the dark as to what is happening. Since they control the news, they are able to keep Jews off base, which helps to create an atmosphere of confusion that plays into their hands. • How do the Germans enlist Jewish labor in carrying out their war aims? Men 16-50 Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 7 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life are required to register, and young men are conscripted into labor battalions. How does the family react when Arthur, Gerda’s 19-year-old brother prepares to leave when conscripted? Gerda remembers this as the first time she has ever seen her father cry. Her mother utters meaningless words such as knowing he will return quickly, and Gerda tries to keep her composure. • Describe the manner in which each of the Weissmann’s reacts to Arthur’s departure. Father turns to the Jewish Bible, mother goes to the cemetery to “talk” to her mother, and Gerda looks through family pictures and remembers the past. Help students realize that there is no “proper” way in which to feel loss; each person deals with emotions in a way which best fits his or her personality. • What does the family learn of what may have been Arthur’s fate? After being transported in cattle cars, many are taken into the woods, beaten and shot. Some are able to escape. • How do the Germans systematically loot Jewish wealth and possessions when they are ordered to report? Each person can take only twenty pounds with him, and all valuables, keys to locks, and money must be left at home. Non-compliance would result in death. • How does the family react? They sell their possessions. • What promise does Gerda make to her father regarding dealing with despair? She promises not to take her own life.

3. Gerda’s use of language is rich and vivid. Read aloud how she describes her father’s pain as Arthur leaves. She writes, “a cry...which had no resemblance to the human voice, it sounded rather like the cry of an animal when it has been stabbed and is dying.” (page 20) Ask students, what is the metaphor used in this sentence? She is describing and comparing her father’s pain to the cry of a wounded animal.

4. Give students the handout on Figurative Language (page 9). Have students keep track of the literary devices Gerda uses throughout the novel and chart it on this worksheet.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE WORKSHEET

Directions: In the novel, find ten instances of simile, metaphor, foreshadowing, or irony. Write down the page number where the sentence is located, and explain the comparison of the language used.

Page # Sentence Comparison

ACTIVITY THREE

Objective

• To understand the adjustment needed to sustain life.

Materials

• Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995. • Handout: “Summary All But My Life Part I” • Quiz 1, Pages 1-62

Homework

• Read All But My Life pages 65-92, Part I, Chapters 9-12.

Activities

1. Discuss pages 33-64: • Why do you think the Jews are not rising against their oppressors? They don’t have guns, and most have had no military training; they’re afraid of retribution. It is human nature to assume that if they follow orders everything will be fine. • What other forms and ways can resistance take? Refer to the book, Resistance During the Holocaust a free teacher guide from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Go to www.ushmm.com to register for this free guide. Resistance needs to be defined to include staying alive another day, not giving up, continuing to pray, Gerda is learning English, and for Jews to continue their schooling after being denied, is resistance. • What role does love play in helping individuals “hang on”? For Abek it is an incentive to endure. • What means are used to reinforce Jewish inferiority? The Weissmanns are forced to move into the basement of their home since the factory has been confiscated by the Germans. Jews are told that they don’t deserve to be treated as privileged. • List the growing number of restrictions placed on Jewish life. Food cut back in rations, “J” on the ration card, wearing an armband, prohibited from school, can’t enter gardens, curfew, can’t use swimming pools. • What normally happens to Poles who fraternized with Jews? They are subject to arrest,

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 10 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life deportation, or death. • Why is Niania able to continue her relationship? She poses no real threat as the family’s nanny and isn’t reported, yet; later, when laws forbid non-Jews to associate with Jews, it will be more risky. • In what way does the family adjust to changes in its life? Gerda and her mother knit to make money to support the family. • Imagine yourself in Gerda’s position: no school, no telephone, no social life, and no information about what is happening in the outside world. How might you feel in such a situation? Can you understand and explain Gerda practicing self-denial when she thinks of her brother’s being mal-nourished? Answer varies • Why is Gerda’s studying English a form of resistance? Instead of wallowing in dark thoughts and self-pity, she’s able to put her energy into preparing for the future. • How does English present her with the opportunity to meet one of the few Germans who act humanly toward her? The police officer allows her to leave even though she has a book in English. Elicit student memories of a situation in their own lives that empathizes with how Gerda feels watching the swimmers at the pool. • What place does religion play in Gerda’s life and the lives of other Jews? It offers her solace and comfort; for some survivors the Holocaust brings a loss of faith. • When Abek approaches Gerda and asks her to marry him, does his analysis of what is missing make sense? She wants someone to make her happy; she doesn’t want just to make someone else happy. She believes love contains both elements. She finds Abek weak and not the type of man she dreams of, although, she is grateful of his companionship and does not want to hurt him. • Do you think he was asking out of true love, or fear and loneliness? Answer varies

2. Hand out and review “Summary of All But My Life, Chapters 1-8” (pages 12-13) with students as a review for Quiz 1. 3. Give students Quiz 1 (page 14-16). Answers on page 17.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 11 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life SUMMARY – All But My Life Chapters 1-8 Gerda Weissmann Klein -- All But My Life (Hill & Wang, 1995, Revised Edition) Chronology compiled by Bill Younglove with permission from United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

All But My Life Memoir Reich Sphere of Influence Chronology Chronology

January 26, 1934 Germany and Poland sign a two-year non-aggression pact.

September 1-3, 1939 September 1, 1939 Germany invades Part I, Chapter 1, Pgs. 3-10 Poland (Jewish population: 3.35 million); Gerda and family see Bielitz, World War II begins. (now Bielsko) Poland, 20 miles . from Czechoslovakia, taken by the Nazis. September 2, 1939 Stutthof concentration September 3-18, 1939 camp established In Poland. Part I, Chapter 2, Pgs. 11-15 Krakow and Warsaw fall. September 21, 1939 Reinhard Heydrich Papa's Illness prevents their (SS) orders establishment of Judenrante and leaving Bielitz. Germans arrive. concentration of Polish Jews. Neighbors fly Nazi flag September 28, 1939 Partition Poland between Germany and USSR.

October 8, 1939 First Polish ghetto is established at Plotrkdw, Trybunalski. October 15-19, 1939 Part I, Chapter 3, Pgs. 16-21 Bielitz males, 16-50, are called up by the Nazis.

October 20-29, 1939 Part I, Chapter 4, Pgs. 22-27 Mr. Pipersberg, Bielitz factory owner, is beaten by Nazi thugs.

November 1-December 2, 1939 November 23, 1939 Wearing of Judenstern Part I, Chapter 5, Pgs. 20-32 (Jewish Star of David) is made compulsory Jewish transport from Bielitz throughout occupied Poland. is postponed. December 6-6, 1939 Jewish property in Poland is seized.

December 20-March 31, 1939-1940 February 8, 1940 Lodz Ghetto is established Part I, Chapter 6, Pgs. 33-40 by German authorities. Restrictions on Jews increase; Weissmanns move into basement of home.

April - December 31, 1940 April 30, 1940 Lodz Ghetto is sealed Part I, Chapter 7, Pgs. 1-46 (230,000 Jews). Bielitz Jewish population is 300, down from 8,000. Gerda turns 16. October 12, 1940 Warsaw Ghetto is established.

November 15, 1940 Warsaw Ghetto is sealed (400,000 Jews).

November 20-25, 1940 Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia join the Nazis and Italians (Tripartite Pact).

January - September 1941 March 1941 Himmler orders construction Part I, Chapter 7, Pgs. 46-54 of camp at Birkenau (Auschwitz II) finished Gerda escapes personal Nazi in one year. encounter; meets Abek Felgenblatt in a boys camp. March 3-20, 1941 Krakow Ghetto is Established and sealed (70,000 Jews).

April 24, 1941 Lublin Ghetto is sealed.

June 22, 1941 Operation "Barbarossa"; Nazis invade the USSR (3,000,000 Jews).

June 23, 1941 Einsatzgruppen begin their mass murder of Jews, Gypsies, and Communist leaders in the USSR.

September - November 1941 September 3, 1941 First Zyklon-B Part I, Chapter 8, Pgs. 55-64 experimental gassing of Soviet Further Jewish restrictions occur. prisoners of war at Auschwitz. Abek falls in love with Gerda. September 27, 1941 Heydrich arrives in Prague as Relchsprotektor.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 13 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life Name______Class______QUIZ 1 All But My Life - Pages 1-64

Directions: Circle the best answer or write a few short sentences to answer the questions.

1. What is the meaning of the metaphor of the watch at the beginning of the story? a. Time, the present as Jews in Poland know it, has come to a standstill. b. Time, as the young and old see it, is amazingly flying by. c. The watch represents all that is minimal and trivial in their lives. d. The watch represents all that is evil with the Nazis.

2. When the story begins, Gerda’s family lives in: a. Czechoslovakia b. Poland c. Germany d. Switzerland

3. Describe Gerda’s hometown, citing passages from the novel: ______4. What is evidence the Weissmann family knows of the impending Nazi peril? a. They watch the news on television. b. Factory workers warn them of Nazi invasion. c. Her uncle has obtained visas for them to emigrate to Turkey. d. They plan a secret trip to Switzerland to visit family.

5. Why don’t they leave with their visas? a. They are forced to move into a ghetto. b. Because the neighbors overheard their plans, they are afraid of getting stopped at the border. c. Because of her father’s mild heart attack, her mother decides that they must remain in Poland. d. They have to wait for Arthur to return.

6. Gerda says on the first day of the war she realizes that, “We were outsiders, strangers in our own home, at the mercy of those who until then had been our friends.” Explain what she means by, “own home.” ______

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 14 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life 7. Why do neighbors, even some Jewish families, display a Nazi flag? a. Some Poles indicate they are German supporters. b. Some people say it is to insure their safety. c. Jews do it so their homes don’t attract Nazi attention. d. All of the above.

8. What were some of the Jewish restrictions from the impact of German take over? ______9. Why are radios among items that had to be handed in? a. They required the batteries necessary for war-time transmissions. b. They needed to give the radios to the men fighting on the front. c. They wanted to destroy their form of entertainment. d. They wanted to keep Jews in the dark and in a state of confusion as to what is happening

10. What does the family learn of what happens to men that are taken, like Arthur? a. They learn the men are asked to clean the streets with toothbrushes. b. They learn they are transported, and sometimes taken into the woods, beaten and shot. c. They learn they are not watched very well and can manage to escape. d. They learn the men are shot immediately.

11. How does the family react when told leave money and valuables in their home? a. They sell their possessions. b. They hide money in the basement. c. They sew in valuables to their clothing. d. They burn their most precious valuables.

12. What promise does Gerda make to her father regarding dealing with despair? a. She promises to marry Abek after the war. b. She promises to find Arthur. c. She promises not to take her own life. d. She promises never to cry.

13. What means are used to reinforce Jewish inferiority? ______

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 15 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life 14. What normally happens to Poles who fraternized with Jews? a. They are laughed at. b. They are subject to arrest, deportation, or death. c. They are fired from their jobs. d. They are honored for their respect of others.

15. Which of the following statements is False? a. Gerda half-wishes her parents suggested committing suicide as a family at one point. b. The Weissmanns hear from Arthur, and he tells them he is safe in Russia. c. Gerda truly wants to marry Abek but just wants to wait until the war is over. d. The Weissmanns find out that Aunt Anna’s husband, Uncle Aaron, is alive.

16. In what way does the family adjust to changes in their life? a. Gerda’s father secretly trades furs for extra money. b. They read to each other nightly to keep well educated. c. Gerda and her mother knit to make money to support the family. d. They attend Temple more often.

17. What is Gerda doing as a form of resistance? a. She wallows in dark thoughts and self-pity. b. She writes anti-Nazi graffiti on the streets. c. She helps in the underground resistance effort. d. She studies English.

18. Explain who Niania is and why it is dangerous for her to visit with the Weissmanns anymore. ______

______

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 16 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life ANSWERS FOR QUIZ 1 – ALL BUT MY LIFE 1. A 2. B 3. Charming, pretty, old world, quaint, cosmopolitan. This town is different from the impression many people have of pre-war Poland. It is not a shtetl, a rural village inhabited by Orthodox Jews; but instead it is a modern community close to the borders of Czechoslovakia and Germany. 4. C 5. C 6. Poland. Although Jews had lived in Poland for 600 years, they are seen as outsiders. They have not attained equality socially or legally, and the distinction always is made between being a Jew or a Pole. To the Poles there is no such thing as a Polish Jew; Poles are Polish and Catholic and Jews are alien. Even though Jews serve in the Polish army and in government, most Poles do not view Jews as Poles. 7. D 8. Jews who had fled and returned to their homes find that their possessions and homes have been confiscated by the Germans, or their Polish neighbors, or their former employees. Valuable Jewish businesses have been appropriated including the fabrics produced in Bielitz, a textile center. Jews are required to turn over their valuables. Jewish men fearing arrest or worse no longer make themselves visible. Some synagogues were burned. 9. D 10. B 11. A 12. C 13. The Weissmanns are forced to move into the basement of their home since the factory has been confiscated by the Germans. Jews are told that they don’t deserve to be treated as privileged. List the growing number of restrictions placed on Jewish life. food cut back in rations, “J” on the ration card, wearing an armband, prohibited from school, can’t enter gardens, curfew, can’t use swimming pools, radios confiscated. 14. B 15. C 16. C 17. D 18. Niania is like a nanny to Gerda. She has lived with the family for years. It is now very dangerous for her to befriend the family because she would be called a “Jew Sympathizer” and arrested.

ACTIVITY FOUR

Objective

• To understand the sadistic and cruel way in which Jews were treated.

Materials

• Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995. • Timed Writing Prompt Handout

Homework

• Read All But My Life pages 95-123, Part 2, Chapters 1-4.

Activity

1. Teacher Read Aloud: Start the class with some poetry readings from, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, a book of children’s poetry written in concentration camp/ghetto, Terezin. The poetry relates the hardships of living in the ghetto. After reading the poetry, let students know they will be discussing Gerda’s trials and tribulations in the ghetto during this part of the novel. 2. Discuss pages 65-92: • React to the tale Erika tells in her letter to Gerda. Had an American received this letter, how do you think one might have reacted? He/she probably wouldn’t have believed what is said since human beings never would behave so cruelly. • What methods are the Germans now using? They are targeting elements of the population: women with children, the old, and the young, killing using sadistic methods, and having the victims dig their own graves. • Why is leaving one’s home for a ghetto in the poorest part of town not only physically but emotionally debilitating? People have gotten used to where they have been living; now they have limited contact with those outside the ghetto. Physically, it is not how some are accustomed to living – in tight quarters, with little food and sickness rampant. • The hardest thing for Gerda to give up is her garden. What might be the hardest if you were in her position? Answer varies 3. Gerda says, “More and more frequently the dreaded word deportation crept into conversations. Young people we heard were sent to labor camps. The old ones were sent to Auschwitz. Even then we know what kind of a camp it was. Somehow we never believed that what happened to

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 18 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life Jews in other towns would ever happen to us.” Ask students to analyze this statement. Why do you believe that human beings always think the best, even when confronted with evidence and reality of doom? Answer varies 4. The Nazis plan for Jewish destruction includes working all able-bodied Jews to death. Therefore, men are separated and taken to a labor camp and women to a work camp attached to a factory. • How do Gerda’s parents prepare for their deportation? Her mother and father talk about the past good times and in the morning makes cocoa that has been saved for years. • How would you expect them to react? Answer varies • Do you think you might have spent your last hours at home as they do? Answer varies • Why is it unusual that Mr. Weissmann tells Gerda to wear her ski boots? It’s June – Tell students these boots play a significant role in Gerda’s ultimate survival. • Why is Mr. Weissmann’s departure so meaningful for Gerda? It is heartbreaking for Gerda, and she tries to maintain an upbeat attitude. • Why does she express anger at seeing him labeled a Jew? His identity is so much more than a word; being a Jew only tells about his religion not what type of a person he is. The same is true for all broad labels; we must make judgments on who someone is and how he conducts himself, not on the group to which he belongs. • Can you understand Gerda’s response to her mother’s need for companionship on the evening her husband has been taken from her? Is her feeling of guilt justified? People grieve in different ways. Gerda regrets not being there as much as her mother would have liked, but this is an emotional time for her as well. • What is touching about Gerda’s last hours with her mother? She insists Gerda have a good breakfast giving her the cocoa she has saved for three years. There’s no longer a reason to save it. • How does Gerda’s mother compare or contrast from your mother or important person in your life? Answer varies • Discuss the inhuman way in which the SS treat Jews during the liquidation of the ghetto. The old and infirm are thrown into a truck; girls capable of work are separated from their mother’s even if they wish to remain with them. • Why do the Nazis march the Jewish women around the town? To show that the town is now free of Jews; that the ”chosen people” are now chosen for destruction; to use the

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 19 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life situation as a warning to Poles. • Why does Merin, the head of the Jewish communities who carries out Nazi orders, save Gerda, yet, condemn many other Jews to death. Discuss the ethical question presented by his actions. Explain that some Jews chose death for themselves rather than selecting others for death. Some leaders are motivated to save those with the best chance for survival and sacrificing the more vulnerable; however, corruption is an issue in some communities. 5. In-class Writing Assignment: Time students to write a persuasive essay that agrees or disagrees with the following prompt: Students should ask themselves if they have felt the same way, in that time period. When asked why she didn’t resist, Gerda said, “Because we had faith in humanity. Because we did not think that human beings were capable of committing such crimes.”

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 20 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life Name______45-Minute Timed Writing Assignment Write a persuasive essay that agrees or disagrees with the following prompt: Students should ask themselves if they have felt the same way, in that time period. When asked why she didn’t resist, Gerda has said, “Because we had faith in humanity. Because we did not think that human beings were capable of committing such crimes.”

______Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 21 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life ______

ACTIVITY FIVE

Objective

• To understand the impact of being a Nazi prisoner.

Materials

• Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995. • Chronology • Quiz 2

Homework • Read All But My Life pages 124-153, Part 2, Chapters 5-7.

Activity

1. Point out that Gerda’s deportation from home is on a passenger train; most Jews are deported in cattle cars crowded with 100 other people. Luckily, she is with her friends since she has been separated from other family members. Tell students that odds for survival are increased when someone has a family group or close friends who look out for each other. Discuss pp. 95-123. • Why do Gerda, Ilse, and Suse bond? For mutual comfort and support. • In terms of gender, are women more likely to form “familial” type bonds than men? Answer varies • How is Gerda’s bet for strawberries poignant? Gerda could never repay her lost bet since Suse died on the morning of liberation. • How does Gerda’s writing style make this more meaningful? Answer varies • How does Gerda manifest the strength her mother told her to have? She asks for a permit to visit Abek’s family; she focuses on surviving even though she is now alone. She believes the worst has happened and she should be strong for herself. • Gerda’s first destination is a transit camp and then a work camp in a weaving mill. To what new routines/ways of life is Gerda introduced? How do these impact her life? Gerda now stands in line for roll call, has meals which are inedible, contains limited calories, and works in a mill rather than going to school. • How does Gerda show her humanity? She gives her food to a girl about her age who obviously is ill and who Gerda knows will be going to her death at Auschwitz in a short Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 23 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life time. She shares the bread, and those things brought by Abek’s family, with Ilse. • Why is Gerda’s choice of remaining with Ilse or remaining with Abek’s family a “choiceless choice”? If she decides to remain, she’ll be separated from her friend, but she will be with Abek’s family where she’ll go to work – there may be another deportation. Also, she’ll feel she will owe something to Abek, such as his marriage. If she goes with the camp, she does not know what lies ahead. • What might you have done in such a situation? What finally convinces her to remain with Ilse? She realizes that if she remains behind, she would be asking Abek’s family to sacrifice for her and she’d feel obligated to marry him even though she doesn’t love him. • Speculate about what might have been in the Militz commander’s letter to Gerda. If it had been sexual, this would have been a problem for him as well as for Gerda since there are laws against “race defilement”, having sex with Jews. • When Germans say they had no idea of what happened to Jews during the Third Reich, how do Gerda’s experiences refute this? After getting off the train in Bolkenhain, the prisoners are marched through the town and German civilians see them at close range. • Discuss the Nazi plan to involve Jews in their own destruction not only in the ghettos but also in the camps. How do prisoners help run the camp? A Jewish woman is chosen to oversee the others; a nurse and cook are also selected. • In her role as “judenalteste” why does Mrs. Berger enlist the help of all? The Nazis believe in collective responsibility; there are negative ramifications for misbehavior. • How did Mrs. Berger make Gerda’s ordeal easier physically and emotionally? • Describe conditions at the work camp: Teachers might have students research conditions at Auschwitz and at work camps; many memoirs offer vivid descriptions of both situations. If not done, explain that in Auschwitz inmates sleep three to a bunk and are given minimal food; on the other hand, Gerda has her own bunk, she is given soup and well-baked bread. Additionally, work inmates have blankets, towels, and a washroom as well as meat on Sundays and can write letters. Conditions in Auschwitz are primitive by comparison. • Why do the Germans consider prisoners who do not meet the demands placed on them as traitors/saboteurs? They are hurting the regime and need to be treated in the same manner one would treat a traitor. The Nazis consider this stealing from the Reich. 2. Review “Summary of Part I-II” with students and discuss as a review for Quiz 2 (page 25-26). 3. Review discussion questions with students and give Quiz 2. Answers on page 28.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 24 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life SUMMARY – All But My Life Part I Chapters 9-11 - Part II Chapters 1-4 Gerda Weissmann Klein -- All But My Life (Hill & Wang, 1995, Revised Edition) Chronology compiled by Bill Younglove with permission from United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

All But My Life Memoir Reich Sphere of Influence Chronology Chronology December 10-11, 1941 Germany and U.S. declare war on each other. December - January 1942 Roosevelt allocates 90% of military Part I Chapter 9, Pgs. 65-70 resources to defeat Hitler. Friend Erica writes of Nazi brutality elsewhere in Poland.

January 20, 1942 Wannsee Confererence is held to coordinate planning of the "Final Solution."

March 1, 1942 Sobibor, Polish Extermination camp, is begun.

January - April 19, 1942 Part I Chapter 10, Pgs. 71-77 Bielitz is moved into a remote quarter, the ghetto.

April 20 - May 1942 Part I Chapter 11, Pgs. 78-81 Gestapo nearly seizes Gerda's father.

May 8 - June 1942 Part I Chapter 12, Pgs. 82-92 Weissmanns register for work; soon, Bielitz is to be made Judenrein. Gerda sees her parents for the last time.

June 1942 Part II Chapter 1, Pgs. 95-100 Gerda arrives at Sosnowltz, Poland.

June 1942 Part II Chapter 2, Pgs. 101-110 Gerda is housed in a transit camp to work; rejects housing with Abek's family in Soenowltz.

July 2, 1942 Part II Chapter 3, Pgs. 111-117 Gerda is taken by train to Bolkenhain, Germany to work in a weaving mill.

July 3 - August 1942 July 22 - September 12, 1942 Part II Chapter 4, Pgs. 118-123 Gerda works long Mass deportations from hours; no response from parents. Warsaw Ghetto to Treblinka.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 25 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life Name______Class______QUIZ 2 All But My Life Pages 65-123 Directions: Circle the best answer or write a few sentences to answer the questions

1. What was the purpose of Erika’s letter to Gerda? a. To find out who was alive back in their hometown. b. To explain where she is and where they are going next. c. To tell her that her mother, brother and fiancé were murdered and she’s losing it. d. To explain where the army is now and where they are advancing next.

2. When leaving home for the ghetto, what is the hardest thing for Gerda to give up? a. Playing with her cat b. Seeing Niania c. Tending her garden d. Reading her books

3. Discuss the hardships of living in a ghetto. Use details from the novel to support your answer. ______4. When the Gestapo comes to the Weissmann’s house in the ghetto, Papa is: a. Visiting neighbors b. Hiding in the closet c. Traveling to work d. Visiting the cemetery

5. The last birthday gift Gerda ever received from her parents was: a. an oriental pin b. a valuable ring c. an orange dress d. a juicy orange

6. Papa makes a strange request of Gerda. He asks her to: a. Take photos of the family when she leaves for the transport. b. Take care of her mother and brother for him. c. Wear her ski boots when she leaves from the transport. d. Wear her yellow star with JEW on it when she leaves for the transport.

7. Analyze Gerda’s anger at seeing her father being labeled as a Jew at his departure. ______Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 26 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life

8. Gerda believes that the Jews do not fight back or run and hide because: a. They believe in the humanity of man and man’s ultimate goodness. b. They are afraid to fight a power like the Nazis. c. They are too weak and unable to fight. d. They are waiting for their visas to come through so they can leave the country.

9. What happens during the liquidation of the ghetto? a. People are able to bring all of their belongings. b. Girls capable of work are able to stay with their mothers. c. Young children stay with a day care worker. d. The old and infirm are thrown into a truck.

10. What is the “choiceless choice” Gerda is faced with? a. Remain with Ilse or go to Abek’s family. b. Volunteer for a work camp or go back to Bieliz. c. Volunteer to be the Judenalteste or stay a work prisoner. d. Remain with Abek’s family or go to her mother’s camp.

11. What finally convinces her to remain with Ilse? a. She feels they will be strong if they stick together. b. She’d feel obligated to marry him even though she doesn’t love Abek. c. She realizes that if she remains behind, Abek’s family would have to sacrifice for her. e. All of the above

12. Who was Suse? a. The camp supervisor. b. A girl who won a strawberry bet who never could collect it. c. The Senior Jewess in charge of Gerda’s group. d. The factory overseer.

13. What challenges must Gerda now face in the work camp in a weaving mill? ______14. Explain two ways Gerda shows her humanity through all of this atrocity. ______Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 27 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life 15. A Judenalteste is: a. Senior Jewess in charge of a group b. A camp supervisor c. An overseer d. A factory director

16. What does Mrs. Berger do when Gerda receives back the letter she wrote to her father? a. She cries, remembering that her own husband is gone. b. She sympathizes with her and gives her food and drink. c. She does not allow Gerda to write or receive any more mail. d. She slaps Gerda to make her “snap out of it” and tells her to cry.

Read the following excerpt from All But My Life, page 89, and answer the question below.

“I saw Bielitz, my dear childhood town. Here and there from behind a curtain a familiar face looked out. We kept on marching. People went marketing. Guards beat stragglers with rubber truncheons. Oh God, I prayed, don’t let it happen! Someone pushed a baby carriage. Workman were repairing a street. On the butcher shop they were painting a new sign. We were marching. A dry goods store was decorating its show window. We had brought the flowered fabric for my dress there, but it was not colorfast. Oh God, don’t let it happen, don’t, I prayed, don’t! At the movie theater they were putting up a sign announcing a new feature – and we were marching.”

17. Discuss the choices of being a bystander. After getting off the train in Bolkenhain, the prisoners are marched through the town and German civilians see them at close range. What if anything could they, or should they have done? How does this speak for society?

______

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 28 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life ANSWERS FOR QUIZ 2

1. C 2. C 4. In the ghetto, there was little food, or water, many families shared small apartments together. Disease was rampant. People were always afraid of the rumors of deportation.

4. B 5. D 6. C 7. It is heartbreaking for Gerda, and she tries to maintain an upbeat attitude. His identity is so much more than a word; being a Jew only tells about his religion not what type of a person he is. The same is true for all broad labels; we must make judgments on who someone is and how he conducts himself, not on the group to which he belongs.

8. A 9. D 10. A 11. D 12. B 13. Gerda now stands in line for roll call, has meals which are inedible and contain limited calories, and works in a mill rather than going to school.

14. She gives her food to a girl about her age who obviously is ill and who Gerda knows will be going to her death at Auschwitz in a short time. She shares the bread, and those things brought by Abek’s family, with Ilse.

15. A

16. D

17. Answers vary

ACTIVITY SIX

Objective • To empathize with life in the work camp.

Materials

• Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995.

Homework

• Read All But My Life pages 154-184, Part 2, Chapters 8-11.

Activities

1. Discuss pages 124-153. • How does Abek prove to be a special person to Gerda? He’s her link to her past. Her letter from her father came to him, and he wrote to her on an almost daily basis. • What other incentives does Gerda have to keep facing each day? Hoping Arthur is still alive, and her friendships in the camp. Abek also provides her with warm clothing which will be life saving. • The girls in the factory decide to keep Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement by fasting. Why is this an act of resistance? They practice the traditional behavior that Jews have done for 5,000 years despite living under conditions in which deprivation of one day’s meal could be fatal. They are already living below the calorie level needed to maintain one’s body. • Gerda says that a few Germans treat her as if she is human. In what ways does one protect Gerda? One German forces Gerda to work when ill so she isn’t discovered by the SS, Obersturmführer Lindnea, who would have sent her to death. • How has Gerda learned to be strong? If she feels she is the last of her family to have survived, she will be stronger. She also realizes had she not gone with her friends, she would have died with Abek’s family when Jews from their town were deported to the gas chambers. • Do you think she’s fair writing to Abek that she will be with him and never leave him? Why is Gerda’s play a boost to morale? She tries to give hope for the future and help to take their minds temporarily off their unbearable situation.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 30 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life • How do the misfortunes of war affect factory life? Yarn isn’t always available and the group leaves Bolkenhain for the branch factory at Märzdorf. • Gerda has a first impression of the new camp commander, a young woman of 19. In what way is her manner different than Frau Kügler? She uses her whip on each inmate. • What else is different in the new factory? The guard is a former prison warden who never smiles, curses, and uses her whip incessantly. This factory is disorganized. • How do individuals make life a living hell for Gerda and the other Jewish prisoners? When she refuses to have sex with her German supervisor in the factory, he promises revenge. She repeatedly is forced to unload flax during the day and coal at night. • How does she manage to live through this ordeal? Fate intervenes when her previous factory boss requests those workers who have worked on four looms. She is reunited with Frau Kügler, Mrs. Berger, and some of her old friends.

ACTIVITY SEVEN

Objective

• To consider the murderous absurdity of Hitler’s war against the Jews.

Materials • Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995.

Homework

• Read All But My Life pages 185-210, Part 2, Chapters 12-15. • Handout: Magic Square

Activities

1. Discuss pages 154-184. • Even though Jews aren’t well treated, why are they considered valuable? They’re good workers and labor is scarce. • What indicators are there that Germany is losing the war? Rations are cut, there is no mail. • Memories and dreams give meaning to Gerda's life. Why do thoughts of having a baby keep Gerda going? They evoke stability, home, kitchens; all the warm thoughts of Gerda’s own childhood. • How do memories serve as an incentive in helping Gerda to remain strong? She keeps a vision (dream) of reuniting with her family; this keeps her focused on enduring so she can reach her goal. Discuss what role mind-over-matter can play in one's life. • What are Gerda’s conflicted feelings about Abek? Why does she both dread and long for him? Why would she say that she’d marry him even though she doesn’t want to do this? She feels an obligation not to destroy his hopes; she doesn’t want to be responsible for his despondency. • Gerda says if the director of their camp at Grünberg, where she is taken in May 1944, were to strike her, she would hit back even though it would mean her death. Why does she feel this way? Do you think she would carry through based on what you know about her? How does she react when she’s beaten by the guards? She takes the beating. • Why is the old German man in the spinning room surprised that Gerda and Suse are

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 32 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life literate? He believes the propaganda that had been promoted about Jews. How does this new job help them and their camp sisters, Ilse and Liesel? They receive extra food in their new positions. • Among the jobs done is that of shredding clothing from Auschwitz and converting it into yarn. Why is this devastating? The clothes are from those who have been killed or imprisoned at Auschwitz/Birkenau, and the girls think they recognize something that belonged to a loved one. • Why do the Germans’ anger seem stronger for the girls when the air raids begin? They represent Germany’s enemy, and these Germans take the attacks out on the girls. • How does Gerda react? She awaits news that German families are being killed and wonders how diligently they’ll follow Hitler when his actions result in the death of their family members. • As the fortunes of war change, Auschwitz falls to the Russians and 4,000 girls are forced on a death march. What preparations do the girls make? Bundle up in all the clothing they have since it’s the middle of winter and none of them have coats. • What is unique about Gerda’s attire? She is wearing the winter boots her father insisted that she wear on the day of deportation. • How can one account for his insistence that she wear her boots? Answers vary. Discuss why the Germans would subject those in their custody to forced marches. If they wanted no witnesses, why don’t they execute them? If they want this labor force alive, why subject them to such conditions? • Discuss the endurance of the human spirit in circumstances beyond which one would expect. Compare this march to the death march of U.S. soldiers in Bataan, Japan; remind the class that these are civilians, not soldiers. Discuss Gerda’s power as a writer helping the reader to have insight into what she suffered and why she doesn’t abandon her fight to live. 2. Hand out the Magic Square activity. The Magic number is 39. If each column, both vertically and horizontally add up to 39, all answers are correct.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 33 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life Name______Class______MAGIC SQUARE Directions: 1. Match the people and places in All But My Life, Part II, with the descriptions across from them. Note: there are more descriptions than needed. 2. In the squares in the box below are 16 letters of the alphabet. Place the correct number of each lettered term in the corresponding box. 3. When you complete the puzzle, the number in each vertical column and each horizontal row should add up to the same total, which will end up being the magic number. If they add up to different totals, you have an incorrect answer.

THE MAGIC NUMBER IS ______A B C D

E F G H

I J K L

M N O P

A. Gerda 1. Name of death camp where men and women were gassed upon arrival. B. Suse 2. Decides to go to the weaving mill rather than stay with Abek’s family. C. Liesel 3. In this camp, Gerda is forced to work day and night at hard labor. D. Ilse 4. Gerda and Ilse are given a job that involves THINKING at this camp. E. Frau Kugler 5. Slaps Gerda when she finds out her father is dead. F. Mrs. Berger 6. Sacrifices all for Gerda. G. Sosnowitz 7. Never collects on the strawberries and cream bet since she dies. H. Lagerfuhrerin 8. Arranges for Gerda to see Abek on two occasions. I. Judenalteste 9. Works in the kitchen and helps Gerda on the Death March. J. Bolkenhain 10. One of the worst men’s camps; Abek voluntarily goes there. K. Abek 11. Where Abek’s family lives; all residents are sent to Auschwitz. L. Marzdorf 12. Gives up her number so that Gerda can get out of Marzdorf. M. Director Keller 13. Senior Jewess in charge of a group; reports to Lagerfuhrerin. N. Burgberg 14. Tries to get Gerda to give him “favors” in exchange for more food. O. Grunberg 15. Nazi camp supervisor. P. Hanka 16. Allows Gerda to receive mail and packages form Turkey. 17. First camp that Gerda is sent to: she learns to weave there. 18. A new friend that Gerda meets in Grunberg. Created by Joy Ostaffe

ACTIVITY EIGHT

Objective • To perceive the horrors of the death march and the final terror of life under the Nazis.

Materials • Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995.

Homework

• Read All But My Life pages 213-240, Part 3, Chapters 1-3.

Activities

1. Discuss pages 185-210. • During the march, in addition to seeing many dead, fellow prisoners, Gerda sees Germans in their homes warm and secure while she is outside freezing in the elements without food much of the time. How can you explain the continued brutality of the SS and of the German civilian population who turn their backs on these girls? • How does Gerda manage to keep going when most do not? She knows that liberation is not far off and that if she stops moving, she’ll be shot. • Discuss how conditions deteriorate as the march continues from the end of January to May, 1945. Meager food, no warm clothing, diarrhea, physical deprivation, hopelessness. • How does Gerda boost morale? She gives the girls hope of quick liberation by reporting about war news, true or not. • How do the girls help each other? Gerda won’t leave Ilse; she rides with her and cares for her as best she can; she places herself in jeopardy for her friend. • Speculate as to why the SS man behaves so sadistically to the dying Ilse? He’s angry at losing the war, he’s afraid of what awaits him, and he has an ideological drive to kill Jews. • Is it understandable for the girls to fear that they will be used as scapegoats for Hitler’s having committed suicide? The guards as SS members had taken a personal oath to Hitler and may act out against the prisoners, on whom they can displace their feelings. • What part does luck play in Gerda’s survival at the end of her ordeal? Had she been able to walk, she would have been on the truck that is staffed by the Americans; she might have been killed if the bomb placed in the barn had detonated. Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 35 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life

ACTIVITY NINE

Objective • To perceive the horrors of the death march and the final terror of life under the Nazis.

Materials • Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995.

Homework

• Read All But My Life pages 241-261, Part 3, Chapter 4 – Epilogue.

Activities

1. Discuss pages 213-240. • How do the prisoners react when long-sought freedom is achieved? They are numb; soon, they are elated. • What is there about the demeanor of the soldier that begins to rebuild Gerda’s self- esteem? He treats her as a lady not like a beast as she had been called by the SS. He’s not afraid to touch them and shows compassion by asking what else he can do to help. All the soldiers display warmth and concern which these girls had forgotten existed. • Are you surprised when Gerda begins to cry uncontrollably? After so many years of being strong, she gives herself permission to feel the emotional pain she has experienced. • Gerda tells us that the only things that she possesses in the entire world are the pictures of her family, which she has carried with her through her entire ordeal. Why is this so poignant for the reader? She’s lost all material possessions; the only thing that has meaning for any of us is the people in our lives. • Assess Gerda’s physical and emotional shape after her six-year ordeal. Physically she weighs 68 lbs and has physical infirmities; emotionally, she’s alone and deprived of all she has known before; she’s now 21 with no skills, her schooling ended at age 15. • Discuss Kurt’s role in restoring Gerda to life. In what ways does the young soldier restore her self-worth? He’s concerned about her and pays attention to her; he brings her magazines and writes to her uncle; he doesn’t treat her with pity but helps motivate her inner strength.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 36 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life • Why does he identify with her feelings of loss? His parents also died in the Nazi killing machinery. • What attributes attract Gerda to him? His kindness, his generosity, his understanding. • What is ironic in Kurt’s saying that among the Germans he has met, he has yet to meet a Nazi? All Germans now say that they went along with the Nazis but weren’t proponents of the regime. • What acts of kindness by other people also help Gerda to recover? Meeting someone who knew her father, receiving clothing from someone she doesn’t really know, kindness by her doctor and those caring for her. • What steps does Gerda actively take to re-integrate herself into the world? She reads voraciously; she accepts affection from Kurt; she’s eager to make the most of what has been given to her since so many have died. • Why is visiting Liesel's and Suse's graves important for her? She needs to bring closure to her friends’ lives and to that part of her own life. She realizes that she can’t live in the past but must live in the present and look forward to the future. • How does Gerda take charge of her life? She makes decisions based on the information she knows. • Why is this a new experience for her? Prior to the Nazis making decisions for her life, she was a 15 year old school girl whose parents made the important decisions. Then the Nazis decided her fate; for the first time she is in charge of her own life.

ACTIVITY TEN

Objective • To appreciate Gerda’s commitment to life rather than to death.

Materials • Klein, G. All But My Life. New York. Hill and Wang. 1995. • Handout: “Summary Part II to Part III” • Quiz 3, pages 141-261

Homework

• Chose a final essay and begin to work on it.

Activities

1. Discuss conclusion of novel. • How does Kurt carefully balance Gerda’s fledgling self-reliance and still express his desire to protect her? He arranges to bring her to the American occupation zone, finds her a room, and supports her endeavor to obtain a job. He also supports her in interweaving her past into their present by making her dead relatives live in their eyes. • Speculate if you had been Gerda, would you have told your fiancé to return to America leaving you behind. What decisions need to be weighed? Answer varies. • Gerda describes survival as both an exalted privilege and a painful burden. Discuss why she feels this way. This might be posed to a survivor invited to speak to the class. To schedule a speaker call the Holocaust Outreach Center at 561-297-2929. • Discuss Gerda’s philosophy of life. Select five words which epitomize it. How has she managed to overcome much of the psychological trauma which she experienced? She hasn’t indulged in self-pity; instead, she’s immersed herself in living to the fullest. • Why is freedom and being an American so important to her? She has chosen to be an American and appreciates democracy and freedom having experienced the excesses of a totalitarian government. • What do Gerda’s and Kurt’s children and grandchildren represent? A triumph over the evil of Nazism; Gerda wasn’t meant to be alive; a victory of the human spirit. • Gerda makes some interesting observations about language. Why is speaking English Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 38 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life a barrier in a protective sense? It allows her to deal with her past, which took place when she was a German speaker; she has a new life, and in this life, she speaks English. • Discuss whether it’s surprising that Gerda finds the death of her brother the greatest loss she suffered. Why is the interchange with Menachem Begin so poignant? Although he never met her brother, he identified with her and gave her the praise that she always had been waiting for. • Assess the attributes that helped Gerda to survive and emerge as a whole human being. Teacher could make a list of attributes on the overhead and elicit characteristics of a strong human being, both emotionally and physically. • The last question Gerda poses is ‘why?’. Can we ever really understand the why that allows human beings to commit unspeakable acts? What can we do to prevent such evil? Teacher should pose this question as the purpose for the Florida Mandate of teaching tolerance, the Holocaust, women’s studies, Hispanic, and African/African American studies. Students should know levels of diversity surrounding them. • If Gerda were here, what questions would you want to pose to her? Answer varies.

2. Show Summary of Part II-III to students and discuss (page 40-41). Review discussion questions with students and give Quiz 3.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 39 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life SUMMARY – All But My Life Part II to Part III Gerda Weissmann Klein -- All But My Life (Hill & Wang, 1995, Revised Edition) Chronology compiled by Bill Younglove with permission from United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

All But My Life Memoir Reich Sphere of Influence Chronology Chronology

August - late January 1943 January 18-22, 1943 First Warsaw Chapter 5, Pgs. 124-134 Ghetto uprising breaks out. Gerda's life is saved by Nazi overseer, Frau Kugler.

February - end of August 1943 Chapter 6, Pgs. 135-143 July 21, 1943 Himmler orders the Sonsowltz is evacuated to Auschwitz. liquidation of all ghettos in Gerda leaves Bolkenhaln. Poland and USSR.

September 1943 Chapter 7, Pgs. 144-153 Gerda arrives at Weirzdorf, a worker's hell. Ilse uses a ruse to get Gerda and herself sent to Landeshut.

September – November 1943 Chapter 8, Pgs. 154-160 Gerda weaves parachutes on the night shift at March 19, 1944 Nazis occupy Landeshut. Abek is in nearby Burgberg. Hungary (725,000 Jews).

November - May 8, 1944 May 2, 1944 First transport of Chapter 9, Pgs. 161-165 Hungarian Jews reach Auschwitz. Italian prisoners show up at Burgberg. By July 9, over 437,000 Hungarian Jews are sent to Auschwitz; most May 9 - November 1944 of them are gassed. Chapter 10, Pgs. 166-177 Gerda arrives at Grunberg; weaves from Auschwitz prisoner clothing. July 23-24, 1944 Soviet army liberates first extermination camp, Majdanek (500 alive),

July 28, 1944 First major death march, from Warsaw (3,250).

October 6-7, 1944 Sonderkommando blow up crematory IV at Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp.

November 30 - January 29, 1946 January 17-18, 1945 Nazis evacuate Chapter 11, Pgs. 178-184 Auschwitz I, II, and III; 66,000 are on Gerda and 4,000 others, in foot "death marches" toward Germany. two transports, march westward toward Germany. January 27, 1945 Soviet army January 30 - February 1946 liberates Auschwitz's 7660 prisoners. Chapter 12, Pgs. 193 The march continues toward Dresden, Germany; three-quarters are dead.

March - April 1946 April 11, 1945 Buchenwald Chapter 13, Pgs. 194-199 "self-liberated," and liberated by the Gerda and 400 others arrive at American army (21,000 Inmates). Heimbrechts barracks.

April 13 - late April 1945 April 15, 1945 British army liberates Chapter 14, Pgs. 200-206 Bergen-Belson concentration camp Gerda and 300 leave Helmsbrechts for Czechoslovakia. Ilse dies. April 29, 1945 (U.S.) Seventh American Army liberates Dachau concentration May 1945 camp (32,000 Inmates). Chapter 15, Pgs. 207-210 Gerda and some others hide in a factory April 30, 1945 Hitler commits at Volary, Czechoslovakia as the war ends. suicide in Berlin bunker.

May 2, 1945 Soviet troops capture Berlin.

May 7, 1945 Nazi Germany surrenders May – May 8, 1945 unconditionally. Part III Chapter 1, Pgs. 213-218 Suse dies. German-speaking soldiers arrive to help. Gerda has her twenty-first birthday- Liberation day.

May 9 -June 27, 1945 Chapter 2, Pgs. 219-233 Kurt Klein, the German-speaking American soldier returns as Gerda recovers. He tells of his own family's losses to the Nazis. At 68 pounds, Gerda recovers slowly.

June 28 - July (?) 1945 Chapter 3, Pgs. 234 - 240 Gerda inquires, via an uncle in Turkey, of her family. Kurt is in Bavaria.

July (?) - September 13, 1945 Chapter 4, Pgs. 241-246 Gerda goes to Cham, in Bavaria, by jeep; then to Frelsing, near Munich. Gerda works November 20, 1945 First major for the Civilian Censorship Division; learns of Nuremberg International War Crimes Abek's death. Kurt asks Gerda to marry him trial begins. and go to the United States.

Epilogue: September 1946, Pgs. 247-261 October 1, 1946 Gerda and Kurt, married, travel via Paris Conclusion of first major Nuremberg and London, to Buffalo, New York to live their lives. Trials.

October 16, 1946 Execution of Nazi war criminals.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 42 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life Name______Class______FINAL QUIZ 3 All But My Life - Pages 134-261 Directions: Circle the best answer or write a few sentences to answer the questions

1. In order to see Gerda, Abek: a. Signs up to work as a weaver. b. Becomes a Judenalteste. c. Voluntarily goes to Burberg. d. Turns his own family in to the Gestapo.

2. Which of the following is not an incentive that keeps Gerda going each day? a. Knowing Arthur is still alive, and her friendships in the camp. b. Having Abek provide her with warm clothing which will be life saving. c. Working while sick in order to not be sent to Auschwitz. d. Meeting her day’s quota at the factory.

3. In order to break Gerda’s resistance, the German man in the factory: a. Lets them keep Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. b. Arranges for her to do heavy labor, day and night. c. Arranges for her to work at Landeshut. d. Lets them eat more than two bowls for dinner.

4. What is different about the new factory to which Gerda is assigned? a. A whip is used on each inmate. b. The guard is a former prison warden who never smiles, curses. c. This factory is disorganized. d. All of the above.

5. What is not an indicator that Germany is losing the war? a. They are offered extra bowls of food. b. There is no mail. c. Italian prisoners arrive. d. Their rations are cut.

6. Explain the different ways in which, mentally, Gerta stays strong. ______7. What are Gerda’s conflicted feelings about Abek? Why does she both dread and long for him? Why would she say that she’d marry him even though she doesn’t want to do this? ______

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 43 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life 8. Gerda is upset at the train station when she sees: a. A father and daughter taking a trip together. b. Abek is there and has followed her group. c. Someone is wearing a coat that looks like her mother’s. d. Her brother in a Nazi uniform.

9. How does the Betriebsleiter punish the girls at Grunberg? a. He uses a whip whenever he can. b. He makes 3 or 4 of them each day pull him around in a wagon. c. He uses his fists, which are covered with rings. d. He makes them work day and night.

10 Suse and Gerda are lucky enough to be assigned a new job at Grunberg. Because they keep track of the weight of all material produced, what is their reward? a. A transport to a neutral country. b. A package from their parents. c. An extra bowl of food daily. d. An orange each.

11. When the girls are forced to undress and are given new numbers by the SS, Gerda exchanges her mother’s valuable pendant for: a. An extra bowl of food. b. The chance to sneak a letter out of camp to Abek. c. A better job at the camp. d. Two packets of poison.

12. Among the jobs done is that of shredding clothing from Auschwitz and converting it into yarn. Explain why is this demoralizing and awful for the girls. ______

13. 2,000 girls were in Gerda’s column for the Death March. Approximately how many survived form that original number? a. Over 1,000 b. Approximately 100 c. Less than 50 d. Approximately 500

14. What is unique about Gerda’s attire? a. She is wearing the winter boots her father insisted that she wear on the day of deportation. b. She has no jacket in the dead of winter. c. She is wearing Abek’s clothing which he sent her. d. She still has the same clothing on as when she left her home town.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 44 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life 15. Why don’t the girls follow Gerda’s plan to escape and hide in the woods? a. They won’t go because they find out that some other girls who escaped have been shot. b. They won’t go because they are too week to run. c. They wont’ go because Suse is not sure that Gerda’s plan will work; she wants more time. d. They won’t go because Ilse gets scared and asks them not to go.

16. In Chemnitz, Gerda raises morale in the camp by: a. Producing more plays and having the girls perform in them. b. Singing about The Little Match Girl. c. Spreading rumors that she had heard the war will end in a few days. d. Talking back to the SS Guards so the girls will think they have a leader.

17. While waiting in the factory building, the Czeck citizens warn the girls that: a. Many Czechoslovakians do not want them in the country. b. The SS men are returning to shoot the girls since their bomb did not go off. c. That there is a bomb outside of the door. d. That American planes are bombing the area that night.

18. How does the liberated soldier begin to rebuild Gerda’s self-esteem from the first time they met? a. He treats her as a lady. b. He’s not afraid to touch her. c. He asks what else he can do to help. d. All of the above

19. After Gerda is liberated and is in the hospital, what does she save from her possessions? a. Her ski boots b. The photos of her family c. The packet of poison d. One of her yellow stars

20. Why is the date that Germany surrendered especially significant for Gerda? a. It is her 21st birthday. b. It is her brother’s birthday. c. It was the same date that Suse predicted. b. It was the same day she was separated by her parents.

21. What gift does Kurt Klein bring Gerda in the hospital? a. A hair brush and mirror b. A letter from Arthur c. A photo of his house in America d. Two magazines, one of them Life

22. In the hospital, Gerda discovers that Ilse: a. Survived but was taken to another hospital. b. Died after an amputation was performed. c. Has disappeared and cannot be found. d. Returned to her hometown to search for her family.

23. How does Kurt surprise Gerda at the end of Part III? a. He tells her that he is returning to America to marry Barbara. b. He tells her that someone named Abek is looking for her. c. He tells her that he would like to marry her and take her to America. d. He tells her that he has located her parents and they are alive.

Department of Multicultural Education, 2004 The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida Holocaust Studies Curriculum 45 All Rights Reserved ELEVENTH GRADE ENGLISH CURRICULUM – All But My Life FINAL PERFORMANCE ESSAYS ALL BUT MY LIFE Directions: PLEASE READ each of the following essay questions CAREFULLY and choose one to write about. KEYS for a good essay: 1. Make sure you answer each question or prompt asked of you before you conclude your paper. 2. Have a plan…. organize first so you don’t miss an important point. 3. Use the same language/wording that is in the question to ensure you are keeping with the topic and not straying off. 4. Include quotes, instances, and/or passages in the novel to back up your opinion or point. 5. Watch grammar and spelling.

• Write an essay that examines the problems/situations Gerda will face after liberation. Consider this quote: “The thought of going home did not ring right.” • Write an essay that examines what part luck plays in Gerda’s survival from the beginning to the end of her ordeal. • Write a descriptive essay that assesses Gerda’s physical and emotional shape after her six-year ordeal. • Write an essay that analyzes Kurt’s role in restoring Gerda to life. Consider: What ways does the young soldier restore her self-worth? • Write an essay exploring the irony in Kurt saying that among the Germans he has met, he has yet to meet a Nazi. • Write an essay describing which acts of kindness by other people also help Gerda to recover. • Write an essay assessing the attributes that helped Gerda to survive and emerge as a whole human being. • The last question Gerda poses is, ‘why?’. Write an essay responding to Gerda explaining to her why we may never be able to understand what allows human beings to commit unspeakable acts. Consider posing some possible solutions in your conclusion.

ANSWERS QUIZ 3

1. C 2. D 3. B 4. D 5. A 6. Memories and dreams give meaning to Gerda's life. Thoughts of a baby, happy marriage, life keep her going. They evoke stability, home, kitchens; all the warm thoughts of Gerda’s own childhood. She has a vision of reuniting with her family; this keeps her focused on enduring so she can reach her goal

7. She feels an obligation not to destroy his hopes; she doesn’t want to be responsible for his despondency. 8. A 9. C 10. C 11. D 12. The clothes are from those who have been killed or imprisoned at Auschwitz/Birkenau, and the girls think they recognize something that belonged to a loved one. 13. B 14. A 15. D 16. C 17. B 18. D 19. B 20. A 21. D 22. B 23. C

ACTIVITY ELEVEN

Objective

• To view videos on Gerda’s and Kurt’s lives.

Materials • Video, One Survivor Remembers • Video, America and the Holocaust: Deceit & Indifference

Homework

• Have students develop a list of questions for the survivor who will speak to the class.

Activities

1. Explain that students will have the opportunity to view One Survivor Remembers, the video based on Gerda’s book and America and the Holocaust: Deceit and Indifference which includes Kurt’s story.

2. Ask Students to assess the lessons learned from each of them, from their perspectives as future citizens, as human beings. What must each of us do?

3. To share the experience of a Holocaust survivor.

• A Holocaust survivor will speak to the class; with permission this session should be taped to develop a school video archive of survivor testimony.

• Students should write a letter to the survivor expressing the impact of the message on their own life.

Mr. Kurt Klein, Gerda’s husband, passed away April 19, 2002, in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on a lecture tour to deliver their message of hope. He was 81.