Hana`s Suitcase Curriculum - HEC-TV

METRO THEATER COMPANY & EDISON THEATRE PRESENT
A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND EDUCATORS
TO THE U.S. PREMIERE OF
by Emil Sher, adapted from the book by Karen Levine
Originally published by Second Story Press
Dear Parents & Educators,
✶
WHAT’S INSIDE?
✶ Classroom activities to help students
process the experience of
Hana’s Suitcase
✶ Historical background on the
I
n the winter of 2000, a suitcase arrives at the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource
Center from the Auschwitz Museum. It is empty. Painted on the outside, the name
and birth date of Hana Brady and the German word ‘waisenkind’ (orphan.) Fumiko
Ishioka’s young students are fascinated. Who was Hana? What happened to her? The
children’s need to know leads Fumiko on a journey to uncover Hana’s story. Through
a series of remarkable events, Fumiko learns of Hana’s fate in a Nazi death camp, and
locates in Toronto the one surviving member of the Brady family, Hana’s older brother,
George. After sixty years of nightmares about his inability to protect Hana during the
Holocaust, George accepts an invitation to travel to Tokyo to share Hana’s story with
the children. The connection among George, Fumiko, and the “Small Wings,” as the
Japanese children call themselves, reminds us that sharing our stories can help
overcome the forces of hate and intolerance that threaten human society.
Holocaust and the Brady family story
✶ Ideas for teaching the Holocaust in a
way that is appropriately sensitive, yet
has deep impact for students
✶ Vocabulary to help students recognize
and identify intolerance in their own
environment
✶ Ideas for generating constructive and
meaningful dialogue with young people
about issues of intolerance in our
modern society
✶ Suggestions for helping young people
stand up against intolerance when
they witness it in their own community
✶
Additional resources for Holocaust
learning and tolerance education
Today, millions of young people are discovering the story of George and Hana Brady.
Journalist Karen Levine heard about Fumiko’s search for Hana, and created a radio
documentary for the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC). The documentary led
to her writing the book, Hana’s Suitcase, originally published by Second Story Press
and now translated into more than twenty languages. Emil Sher adapted Levine’s book
into the play you will see in January. Metro Theater Company is honored to co-present
with Edison Theatre our production of Hana’s Suitcase in its U.S. premiere.
We hope that you will carefully prepare young people for
the experience of Hana’s Suitcase, and make time after
the performance for thoughtful reflection on the
sensitive issues of hate and intolerance that the play
raises. We offer you this guide as a support for
discussion and follow-up activities that can help
young people deepen their connection to a story
that must be told, and remembered.
Director: Carol North
Lighting Designer: John Wylie
Composer/Sound Designer: Andrew Hopson
Technical Director: Nicholas Kryah
Costume Designer: Lou Bird
Props Designer: Stephanie Strohman
Set Designer: Dunsi Dai
Production Manager: Sarah E. Davis
2
From the Playwright
I
had not yet finished reading Hana’s Suitcase when my mind
began to spin with the possibilities of turning a beautiful
story into a powerful play. As I read certain passages I
pictured them on stage and knew I could use all the tools
theatre has to offer: sets, costumes, music, slides, masks, even
silence. A well-timed pause can speak volumes and tell us more
about a character or situation than any amount of dialogue.
From the very start, I knew bringing Hana’s Suitcase to life on
stage would present certain challenges…and many rewards.
How far into the darkness of the Holocaust do you go, knowing
young children will be watching the play? How do you condense
layered lives into ninety minutes on stage? How much of the
book do you preserve, and what gets left behind?
Process is as important as production when creating a play,
especially an adaptation. That process includes working with
colleagues—a director, a dramaturge—who offer feedback and
insights as the play takes shape from draft to draft to draft. A
world of its own emerges, a world with its own rules and rituals.
In the world of this play, the past and present are braided but
never blend: Akira and Maiko imagine Hana’s story as it unfolds
but cannot affect it; unable to change the past, they unearth
their potential to shape the future.
And so a play about the Holocaust ends on a positive note:
the last image of the play is of a Japanese girl pretending she
is a Jew in Czechoslovakia. It is a small but hopeful gesture that
reminds us of the power of theatre to scatter seeds, seeds that
all of us—on stage and behind the scenes—have to believe will
take root.
Why must we teach young people
about the Holocaust?
The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored
persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by the
Nazi regime and its collaborators.
The Holocaust is a difficult and painful subject for parents and
for educators. Our instincts tell us to protect our children from
hearing about the darkest side of human nature and the horrific
acts that took place. Yet the Holocaust must never be forgotten.
We must teach young people about the Holocaust for the
following reasons:
• Democratic institutions and values are not automatically
sustained; they require attention and nurturing.
• Silence or indifference to suffering or to the civil rights of
others—even if it is unintentional—perpetuates the problem.
• The Holocaust was not an accident in history. Individuals,
organizations and governments made choices that led to
the Holocaust.
• There are consequences to remaining silent in the face of
others’ oppression. The Holocaust offers us an opportunity to
examine what our responsibilities are as citizens in a democracy,
and when it is time to take action against intolerance.
It is critical to teach young people that the actions of one single
person did not lead to the Holocaust. Adolph Hitler did not
single-handedly cause the deaths of six million people. The
Holocaust occurred because ordinary citizens failed to protest
or resist the abuse of power by a government.
Hana’s Suitcase spares children from graphic and disturbing
images of Nazi atrocities. Instead, through the eyes of young
George and Hana, we witness the systematic stripping away of
life as they knew it: the loss of friends, the dismantling of their
family, and the planned destruction of their community. All of
this happened in the presence of community bystanders who failed
to come to their rescue. This is a story about children, for children.
Emil Sher
Toronto, Canada
TIME LINE OF
THE HOLOCAUST
1933
1928
The Rise of the Nazis
GEORGE BRADY IS BORN
1931
HANA BRADY IS BORN
Hana and George Brady
JANUARY 30
After a period of grave economic and
political instability brought on by their
defeat in World War I, Adolph Hitler is
named chancellor of Germany.
FEBRUARY 28
Hitler’s party, the Nazis, move
quickly to end democracy and individual freedoms, including speech,
assembly and press. Opponents of
the Nazis are incarcerated without
trial or judicial process.
3
Preparing young people for Hana’s Suitcase
As you watch the play . . .
T
Invite young people to pay special attention to the production
elements when they watch Hana’s Suitcase. Lighting, set design,
costumes, props, sound, music and movement are all carefully
selected by the creative team to honor the story. Some things
to notice:
he best preparation a teacher or parent can provide
is to read the book Hana’s Suitcase with your young
people before coming to see the play. We understand
that this is not always possible. Whether or not young
people are familiar with the book, you can help prepare them by
engaging in a discussion beforehand:
• Have you heard about the Holocaust? What do you already
know about it?
It is important to give young people a very clear definition
(see page 2). Be careful to clarify any false assumptions or
mis-information they may have about the Holocaust as you
are discussing it. If a question arises and you don’t know the
answer, it’s okay to acknowledge that you don’t know. Make
a list of questions that you can research together later.
• Have you ever witnessed someone in your school or community
getting picked on or being treated disrespectfully because of a
perceived difference? What happened? Did anyone come to the
aid of that person? If not, why not?
• What rights are we guaranteed as American citizens that
protect us from discrimination?
• What would you do if you and your family were suddenly
stripped of your rights as an American citizen?
• Names: Why do you think the director and set designer
included all those names?
• Masked Characters: Some of the actors play masked
characters known as “Figures.” Whom do the Figures
represent? How do masks contribute theatrically to the
representation? How do the Figures help tell the story of
the Brady family, and Fumiko’s quest for Hana?
• Music and Sound: How do the sound and music help to
create a mood or atmosphere? What emotions do you feel
as you listen?
• Symbols and Metaphors: Even the form and shape of the
set are symbolic. What symbols and metaphors do you notice,
and what do they mean to you?
• Past and Present: Notice how past and present overlap as
the story unfolds. How do two layers of time occupy the same
space on stage?
SHOW-ME STANDARDS
TEACHERS:
Visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website,
where you can download their “Guidelines for Teaching about
the Holocaust.” The website offers outstanding advice on
methodology for teaching the Holocaust, and suggests topic
areas for a course of study. You may download information in
PDF form at: http://www.ushmm.org/education/foreducators/
MARCH 22
The SS – Hitler’s “elite
guard”– establish the
first concentration camp
at Dachau for political
prisoners.
Present perceptions and ideas regarding works of the arts, humanities
and sciences
FA 2
The principals and elements of different arts forms
FA 5
Visual and performing arts in historical and cultural contexts
WHY DIDN’T THE GERMAN PEOPLE RESIST
THE NAZIS AND FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY?
?
MARCH 23
Parliament empowers Hitler
to establish a dictatorship in
Germany.
Goal 2.4
No evidence exists that there were any mass demonstrations or
protests against the Nazis as they came to power. The Nazis were
masters of propaganda (the spreading of ideas, information, or
rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause,
or a person) and convinced many Germans that after years of
economic depression and humiliation in WWI, only the Nazi party
could restore German national pride. The Nazis brutally murdered
or arrested leaders of opposition political parties. Those who didn’t
agree with Nazi ideology feared for their lives if they spoke out.
APRIL 1
The Nazis organize a
nationwide boycott of
Jewish-owned businesses.
MAY 10
The Nazis organize
book burning rallies
across Germany.
?
JULY 14
The Nazi government enacts
a law depriving Jews and
Roma (Gypsies) of their
German citizenship.
4
HANA’S STORY
The Theresienstadt Ghetto
I
n October, 1941 the tranquil Czech town of Terezin was
transformed by the occupying Germans into Theresienstadt,
a ghetto for Jews. The Germans segregated and isolated the
Jews by forcing them to leave their homes and live in walled-off
sections of cities that made them prisoners. Over 800 ghettos
existed across Europe while Hitler was in power.
Theresienstadt was the ghetto that George and Hana Brady
were sent to after being separated from their parents and receiving
orders to leave their home in Nove Mesto. Conditions were horrible.
Children were separated from their parents. Boys and girls were
segregated and sent to live in dirty, overcrowded dormitories. Rats,
lice and bedbugs spread disease. Children received 3/4 of a loaf
of bread twice a week, and no milk, fruit or vegetables. They
were not allowed to go to school. Siblings, including George
and Hana, were rarely allowed to visit each other.
Numbers prove the reality of life in Theresienstadt.
141,000 Jews were sent there; of that number:
• 33,456 died in the ghetto
•
88,202 were transported to death camps in the East
• 15,000 children died, only 100 survived—
none under the age of 14. George Brady was one
of those 100 survivors.
The Nazis went to great lengths to hide the horror of ghettos.
Theresienstadt was created as a “model ghetto” by the Germans
to fool the world. Many prominent Jewish artists, authors,
composers and intellectuals were sent there. Theresienstadt was
“beautified” for a visit from the International Red Cross in 1944.
The deception worked. The Red Cross reported that Jews were
being treated well in Theresienstadt.
Though the Nazis defined Jews as a “race,” this is false.
Jewish identity is a religion, not a race.
1935
SEPTEMBER 15
The Nuremburg Laws make Jews second-class citizens in
Germany, as well as Roma and black people. A person is
defined as a Jew not by his religious affiliation or how he
chooses to identify himself, but by the religious affiliation
of his grandparents.
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A
Research the voyage of the SS St. Louis,
the ship of Jewish refugees refused entry
into the United States and sent back to
Europe in 1939. Start with this web page:
http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/louis.htm
▲
TIME LINE OF THE HOLOCAUST CONT.
George Brady and Fumiko Ishioka with Hana’s Suitcase.
!
To keep up the charade, the Germans permitted a certain
amount of cultural activity in Theresienstadt; even more was
conducted in secret. In the midst of suffering, ghetto residents
held poetry readings, recitals, concerts, lectures and plays.
The children even staged an opera, Brundibar, which had 55
performances. The Nazis filmed and photographed some of
these cultural events to show the world that the Jews were
“thriving” in Theresienstadt.
1938
MARCH 12-13
German troops
invade Austria.
REFUGEES FROM GERMANY AND
AUSTRIA ARRIVE IN NOVE MESTO,
CZECHOSLOVAKIA. KAREL AND
MARKETA BRADY PLEDGE TO DO
WHAT THEY CAN TO HELP THEM.
5
!
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Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, Artist and Healer
F
A BOOK FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN: Famed children’s
or Hana Brady, one small ray of
sunshine existed in the darkness
of ghetto life: her extraordinary
art teacher, Friedl Dicker-Brandeis.
Dicker-Brandeis was an established and
respected artist when she was ordered
to report to Theresienstadt. Instead of
taking cherished personal belongings
with her, she stuffed her suitcases full of
art materials, knowing that the children in the ghetto would
need a creative outlet as they suffered unbearable hardships.
She went from room to room in the children’s dorms,
offering art lessons to any child who wanted them. While
many skilled artists traded lessons for food in the ghetto,
Dicker-Brandeis refused to accept a crumb. Dicker-Brandeis
perished in Auschwitz, but the drawings and paintings created
by her students in the ghetto were recovered, and have been
exhibited around the world.
illustrator Maurice Sendak and playwright Tony Kushner created
a picture book version of Brundibar, the opera by Hans Krása
that the children of Theresienstadt staged. Read the book to
your students, and analyze: Why do you think the children in
the ghetto were so enthralled by the story of Brundibar? Who
might the wicked organ grinder Brundibar have represented
for the children?
COMMUNICATION ARTS GLE
R1h 5-12
Apply post-reading skills to comprehend text
!
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THE MODERN GHETTO: Unfortunately, ghettos are not a thing of the
past. Ghettos are defined as “an area where people are crowded in
conditions of poverty.” We know that ghettos exist today in the United
States. Where do ghettos exist in the St. Louis area? If you don’t know,
research and find out.
Through discussion or writing, consider these questions: What social,
economic and political factors create ghettos in a democratic society?
Compare and contrast similarities between the ghettos where Nazis
forced Jews to live, and ghettos we find here in our community. What
conditions would have to change in order for urban ghettos to be a
thing of the past?
SOCIAL STUDIES GLES
RIa 6-7
Knowledge of how needs of individuals are met
RId 9-12
Consequences of individual or institutional failure
RIe 9-12
Causes, effects and resolutions of cultural conflict
WHY DIDN’T JEWS JUST LEAVE EUROPE
TO ESCAPE THE NAZIS?
?
Many Jews did leave. However, stringent immigration policies prevented
many from seeking refuge in other countries. Many countries, including
the United States, placed strict quotas on the number of Jews who could
enter, or simply closed their doors completely. The complicated paperwork
and money required to emigrate also made it prohibitive for most.
Ultimately, many Jews simply could not bear to leave their families and
their homelands and stayed, hoping the Nazis would soon be defeated.
?
Kristallnacht Riots
OCTOBER 1-10
JULY 6-15
Delegates from 32 countries gather at the Evian
Conference to discuss what to do about refugees
fleeing Nazi persecution. The United States and
most other countries are unwilling to ease their
immigration restrictions.
GERMAN TROOPS OCCUPY
THE SUDETENLAND IN
CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
NOVEMBER 9-10
The Nazis and their collaborators burn synagogues, loot
Jewish homes and businesses, and kill at least 91 Jews.
30,000 Jewish men are sent to concentration camps. The
riots come to be known as ‘Kristallnacht,’ which means
‘Night of the Broken Glass.’
6
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!
“A Military Necessity”
Internment Camps for Japanese-Americans
I
t may be difficult for young people to believe that during
World War II, the United States government rounded up
and detained 120,000 American citizens and legal residents
in camps to isolate them from the rest of the population. After
the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, many feared that JapaneseAmericans in the United States might serve as spies or sabotage
the U. S. war effort. (There was NO evidence to support this
paranoia.) Many Japanese-American families were sent to
internment camps—separated from their homes, their jobs
and, sometimes, from other members of their family for the
remainder of the war. While conditions were not as harsh as
those in the Jewish ghettos, some died from emotional stress
or inadequate medical care. In 1988, Congress passed a bill
making reparations to Japanese-Americans who were in the
camps. President Reagan issued a formal apology.
Choose one of those items. Write a short story or poem about the
items, describing why it is so special to you. You may even write
from the point of view of the item itself.
COMMUNICATION ARTS GLE
W3a 5-12
Narrative and descriptive writing
Sweeden
MAJOR DEPORTATIONS
TO EXTERMINATION CAMPS 1942-1944
0
CREATIVE WRITING: A war has broken out. Members of your racial,
ethnic or religious group are under suspicion. You have just been told
that tomorrow, you and your family must report to an internment camp
for the remainder of the war. You must leave school, home and friends
behind. You can take very little with you. Besides clothing, you choose
ten items that are very special to you. What ten items do you choose
to put in your suitcase? Make a list.
1944 International Boundaries
Denmark
North Sea
Baltic Sea
Occupied
Eastern
Territory
300
FRONT LINE
January 1944
miles
Westbrork
Great Britain
Berlin
Netherlands
Muchelen
NORTH
Warsaw
Belgium
Lodz
Majdanek
THERESIENSTADT
Drancy
Soviet
Union
Treblinka
Chelmno
Greater Germany
AUSCHWITZ
Czechoslovakia
Sobibor
Belzec
Slovakia
Atlantic Ocean
Bolzano
France
Vienna
Switzerland
(NEUTRAL)
Hungary
Homaria
Fossoli di Carpi
Spain
Croatia
Black Sea
Serbia
Italy
Deportation Route
Bulgaria
Camp
Extermination Camp
Mediterranean Sea
City
Rome
FRONT LINE
January 1944
Ghetto
Aleanla
Selonika
Greece
Turkey
(NEUTRAL)
TIME LINE OF THE HOLOCAUST CONT.
1939
World War II Begins
1940
MARCH 15
GERMANY INVADES
CZECHOSLOVAKIA. THE
NAZIS IMMEDIATELY IMPOSE
RESTRICTIONS ON LIFE FOR
CZECH JEWS, INCLUDING THE
BRADY FAMILY.
SEPTEMBER 1
Germany invades Poland.
France and Great Britain
declare war on Germany.
ALONG WITH ALL OTHER
JEWISH CHILDREN IN
GERMAN-OCCUPIED
COUNTRIES, THE BRADY
CHILDREN CAN NO
LONGER GO TO SCHOOL.
MAY 20
SS authorities begin
construction of the
Auschwitz camp
in Poland.
1941
JUNE 22
Germany invades
the Soviet Union.
Pre-show activity
Pin Your Wishes to the Sky
In the play, as the Nazis impose more and more restrictions on the Brady family,
Hana pins her wishes to the sky so everyone can see them. Use the star below to pin
your wishes to the sky. What wishes do you have for the world? What would you wish
for to promote tolerance among all people? Your wish can be a word or sentence, a
drawing or poem. Decorate your star so it is one-of-a-kind.
Cut out your star and bring it with you when
you come to Edison Theatre to see Hana’s Suitcase.
There will be a special spot for you to place your wish.
TEACHERS:
Feel free to copy either side of this page
for a classroom activity before or after
the performance.
Post-show activity
Write to George Brady
George Brady has received many letters and drawings from young people who have experienced Hana’s Suitcase.
We invite you to write Mr. Brady a letter; or, if you prefer, draw him a picture. Describe for him the thoughts and
emotions you had as you were watching the play. What was the most memorable part of the play? How did the play
make you think about situations in your life where you have witnessed or experienced intolerance or discrimination?
Dear Mr. Brady,
Mail your letters to:
COMMUNICATION ARTS GLE
W3E 5-12
Write effectively in various forms and types of writing: Audience and Purpose
George Brady, c/o Metro Theater Company,
8308 Olive Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63132.
Metro’s staff will read all of them, and forward them to Mr. Brady.
7
A Primer for Teaching Tolerance
From the Southern Poverty Law Center’s web project, Tolerance.org,
Discriminatory behavior—ranging from slights to
hate crimes—often begins with name-calling, negative
stereotypes and prejudices. As young people see the
play or read Hana’s Suitcase, ask them to notice how
discrimination against Hana’s family progresses, from
exclusion from certain public places, to the forced
separation of the family and removal from their home,
and, ultimately, to Hana’s death in Auschwitz.
here is a quick primer to help young people understand the
nature of bias, an attitude that favors one group or
person over another group or person. Below are ways
people sometimes show bias towards another person:
Name-calling is associating a person or group with
a negative image.
Idiot! Four eyes! Fatso!
A stereotype is an exaggerated belief, image or distorted
truth about people - a generalization that allows for little or
no individual differences. A stereotype can be positive or
negative, such as:
!
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CREATIVE WRITING: Ask young people to imagine that tomorrow the
United States government suddenly suspends the Bill of Rightsbut only for people who belong to your own religious or ethnic group.
Suddenly, you are no longer allowed freedom to gather in groups or
have meetings. You are banned from most public places, including your
school. Your computer, cell phone and television are confiscated. You
no longer have rights that protect you if you are arrested, such as the
right of habeas corpus, the right to an attorney, or the right to trial by
a jury of peers.
All black people can play basketball.
White people don’t have any rhythm.
All girls like to play with dolls.
A prejudice is an opinion, prejudgment or attitude about
a group or its individual members. This attitude is almost
always negative and unflattering, such as:
Women just aren’t as good at some jobs as men are.
Write a journal entry describing how your life has suddenly changed.
What activities did you do easily that now are extremely difficult or
even dangerous? How has your relationship changed with your friends
whose rights were not suspended? What do you fear will happen to you
and your family? Do you plan to resist? How?
Overweight people are just lazy.
All Muslims are terrorists.
Discrimination is behavior that treats people unequally because
of their group memberships. Examples of discrimination:
Blacks denied access to schools.
Women denied equal pay for equal work.
COMMUNICATION ARTS GLE
W3a 5-12
Narrative and descriptive writing
People with disabilities denied access to
public space and facilities.
SOCIAL STUDIES GLES
PCa 5-8
Principles expressed in documents shaping constitutional democracy in the U.S.
PCb 9-12
Understanding the relevance and connection of constitutional principles
SEPTEMBER
SPRING
MARKETA BRADY IS ARRESTED
AND SENT TO RAVENSBRÜCK
CONCENTRATION CAMP.
HANA AND GEORGE NEVER
SEE HER AGAIN.
THE BRADY FAMILY MUST
START WEARING THE STAR
OF DAVID. GERMANS DICTATE
THAT NOVE MESTO MUST
BE MADE ‘JUDENFREI,’
FREE OF JEWS.
FALL
KAREL BRADY IS ARRESTED AND
SENT TO IGLAU GESTAPO PRISON.
GEORGE AND HANA NEVER SEE
HIM AGAIN. THEY ARE RESCUED
TEMPORARILY BY THEIR UNCLE
LUDVIK AND AUNT HEDA.
NOVEMBER 24
Germans establish
the Theresienstadt
ghetto in the
ancient walled
Czech town of
Terezin.
DECEMBER 7
Japan bombs Pearl
Harbor. The United
States enters
World War II.
8
The Bystander Syndrome
There are four distinct groups of people within the Holocaust:
Victims:
Jews and other groups
who became targets of
Nazi hatred
Perpetrators and
Collaborators:
Nazis and people who
worked with the Nazis
The Righteous
Among Nations:
Non-Jews who risked their
lives to save Jews
Bystanders:
People who were aware of,
but took no part in what
was happening
Teachers and Parents, share the triangle below with your young people. Ask them which group they believe was the largest during the
Holocaust, and why.
It may surprise young people that it was the bystanders that compose, by far, the largest group. The majority of Europeans took the role
of bystanders as they witnessed the persecution of the Jews at the hands of the Nazis. Bystanders did nothing to stop the Nazis.
Bystanders
Victims
The Righteous
Among Nations
Perpetrators
& Collaborators
“To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all.”
Elie Wiesel
TIME LINE OF THE HOLOCAUST CONT.
1942
The Final Solution
JANUARY 20
Senior Nazis officials decide to
implement “the final solution to
the Jewish question.” The Nazis
begin deporting Jews from ghettos
to six Nazi death camps.
JULY
MAY 4
SS officials begin operation of
the gas chambers at AuschwitzBirkenau. More than one million
people die there by the end of the
war; nine out of ten are Jews.
KAREL BRADY DIES
IN AUSCHWITZ.
MAY 18
OCTOBER
HANA AND GEORGE
ARE SENT TO
THERESIENSTADT.
MARKETA BRADY DIES
IN AUSCHWITZ.
9
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The Righteous Among Nations
!
W
hile the majority of Europeans were bystanders, there were non-Jews
who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust. Yad Vashem,
the Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance Authority in
Israel, has bestowed upon these people the distinction “Righteous Among Nations.”
The most famous among these is Oskar Schindler, whose story is dramatized in
Steven Spielberg’s film, Schindler’s List.
A lesser known hero is Irena Sendler, a Catholic social worker who helped
smuggle 2,500 babies and children out of the Warsaw Ghetto at great risk to
her own life. Her incredible story was uncovered by three Kansas teenagers
looking for a topic for a history contest. You can read about Irena Sendler
and the young people who are keeping her story alive with a play entitled
Life in a Jar, at www.irenasendler.org.
!
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DRAMA: Ask young people to brainstorm situations they see in their school or
community where people take the role of bystander—people who witness, but take
no part in what is happening. Classroom groups of four or five then create a tableau,
or frozen image of the incident that includes the victim, perpetrator, and bystander(s).
Discuss what is happening in each image.
HOTSEAT the characters. Hotseating is a drama structure that allows characters
(the person playing that role, who stays in character) to be questioned by the audience
about the incident and their role in it. Interview the characters, focusing on the victim
and the bystanders. Why are the bystanders not coming to the aid of the victim? Do
they feel any responsibility toward the victim? By witnessing, but not taking part in the
injustice, are bystanders guilty along with the perpetrators? Why or why not?
Persuasive Writing:
“First they came for the communists, but
I was not a communist—so I said nothing.
Then they came for the social democrats,
but I was not a social democrat—so I did
nothing. Then they came for the trade
unionists, but I was not a trade unionist.
And then they came for the Jews, but I was
not a Jew—I did little. Then when they
came for me, there was no one left who
could stand up for me.”
—attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller
Ask your students to consider, and then respond
in writing to this quote. What relevance does it
have today? Can you think of a time in our
recent American history where bystanders came
to the aid of a person or group who were being
persecuted or discriminated against? In order to
preserve our democracy, why is it so important
that we take a stand when the rights of others
are being threatened? What might be the
consequences of indifference or apathy?
COMMUNICATION ARTS GLE
W3c 5-12
Expository and Persuasive Writing
SOCIAL STUDIES GLE
RId 9-12
Consequences of individual or institutional failure
WHY DIDN’T THE ALLIES STOP THE FINAL SOLUTION?
?
DECEMBER
FRIEDL DICKER-BRANDEIS ARRIVES
AT THERESIENSTADT, AND BEGINS
TEACHING ART LESSONS TO CHILDREN
IN THE CAMP, INCLUDING HANA.
The Allies, including the United States, believed that the primary
focus must remain on defeating the German armed forces, rather
than on rescuing victims of the war. Even though the Allies knew
about the Auschwitz death camp, they refused to bomb it in favor
of other military targets nearby. Also, because the Germans had
so completely isolated the Jewish victims from the rest of the
world, very little information about the Final Solution leaked
out, and many who did hear about it refused to believe such an
atrocity could be possible.
1943
APRIL-MAY
Jewish fighters resist the German attempt to
liquidate the Warsaw ghetto, in what came to be
known as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the first
mass revolt in Nazi-occupied Europe.
?
JULY
GEORGE AND HANA FIND THEIR
GRANDMOTHER IN THE GHETTO.
SHE DIES THREE MONTHS LATER.
10
“
!
TY
TIVI IDEA
AC
Take a Stand!
Tolerance.org is an outstanding web resource for parents and
educators to help promote tolerance and social justice. The website
offers Speak Up!—six steps to respond to everyday bias and
bigotry, and to reject the role of bystander. Invite young people to
study the six steps. Groups of students or friends then choose one
of the above situations, and create a scene that illustrates how an
individual could respond to the bigoted behavior instead of ignoring
it and letting it pass. Share the scenes to open up a discussion
about responding to everyday bigotry in school and the community.
Young people can also take the Speak Up! pledge. Download it at
http://www.tolerance.org/speakup/index.html. Post it in the
classroom or at home as a reminder that you will all take a stand
against bigoted and discriminatory behavior.
SOCIAL STUDIES GLES
RIc 6-7
Describe/analyze how cultural traditions,
human actions and institutions affect people’s behavior
RId 9-12
Identify the consequences that occur when individuals
fail to carry out their personal responsibilities
”
An excerpt from President Clinton’s remarks
at the dedication of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
TY
TIVI IDEA
AC
!
Have young people consider the following situations:
• A friend tells a racist joke at lunchtime.
• You witness fellow classmates making fun of a developmentally
disabled student behind his back as he walks down the hall
to class.
• An older relative uses a racial slur in conversation at a family picnic.
• A friend describes a classmate and her family as “white trash.”
• You are in line at a store, and the sales clerk is struggling to
communicate with a woman who is a recent immigrant. The
woman in line behind you loudly comments, “They should learn
to speak English or go back where they came from!”
This museum is not for the dead alone,
nor even for the survivors who have been so
beautifully represented; it is perhaps most of all
for those of us who were not there at all. To learn
the lessons, to deepen our memories and our
humanity, and to transmit these lessons from
generation to generation.
Small Wings: Kids Educating Kids
Fumiko Ishioka’s students were so moved by Hana’s story that they
formed a group called ‘Small Wings’ that began publishing a newsletter
to educate other Japanese children about the Holocaust.
As a classroom activity, students might create their own newsletter
to educate others about the Holocaust. Your classroom newsletter
could include:
• An overview of Holocaust history
• Stories of survivors
• Hana and George Brady’s story
• Stories of rescuers who tried to save Jews from the Holocaust
• Reviews of books they have read about the Holocaust
• Maps and statistics
• Student editorials on why it is important that young people
know and remember what happened during the Holocaust.
Publish the newsletter, and have students distribute copies to students
in their grade level at other schools, to other teachers, or to parents.
SOCIAL STUDIES GLES
WHg 9-12
Causes, comparisons and results of major twentieth-century wars
TSa-f 5-12
Knowledge of the use of tools of social science inquiry
COMMUNICATION ARTS GLES
W3C 5-12
Expository and persuasive writing
W3E 5-12
Audience and purpose
TIME LINE OF THE HOLOCAUST CONT.
OCTOBER 6
1944
JUNE 6
British and American troops
invade German-occupied France,
in an operation known as D-Day.
The war begins to turn against
the Germans.
JULY 23
The International Red Cross
visits Theresienstadt. They
report that the Jews are
being treated well there.
SEPTEMBER
GEORGE IS SENT TO
AUSCHWITZ, WHERE HE IS
SELECTED FOR A WORK
CREW. HIS SKILLS AS A
PLUMBER SAVE HIS LIFE.
FRIEDL DICKER-BRANDEIS IS
SENT TO AUSCHWITZ WHERE
SHE IS KILLED.
OCTOBER 23
HANA IS SENT TO
AUSCHWITZ WHERE
SHE IS KILLED.
11
RESOURCES FOR PARENTS & EDUCATORS
Holocaust Teaching and Learning
. . . I never saw another butterfly . . .Children’s Drawings and Poems
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:
from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944. Edited by Hana
www.ushmm.org
Volavková. New York: Schocken, 1993.
Beyond compare as a thorough and exhaustive Holocaust resource.
Other Recommended Holocaust Literature for Young People:
Includes methodology on teaching the Holocaust, lesson plans, a
Picture Books:
Bunting, Eve. Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust.
Mochizuki, Ken. Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story.
Polacco, Patricia. The Butterfly.
Holocaust encyclopedia, and survivor testimonies. Adults should
carefully screen and monitor student access to the website, as it
contains some graphic testimony and images.
The St. Louis Holocaust Museum and Learning Center:
www.hmlc.org
A field trip to the HMLC in Creve Coeur is an excellent companion
to a study of Hana’s Suitcase. The Museum also loans learning
trunks chock-full of classroom resources. Call the Museum at
(314) 432-0020 to schedule a tour of the exhibit or to borrow a trunk.
A small group of Holocaust survivors live in St. Louis, and through
the HMLC, they can be scheduled to speak to a group. Call the
HMLC for more information.
The Hana’s Suitcase Website:
www.hanassuitcase.ca
The official website of the Brady family. Includes an interview with
George Brady, and a gallery of Brady family photos from before,
during and after the War.
Paper Clips
Visit the website: www.paperclipsmovie.com
This moving film documentary produced by The Johnson Group,
in association with Miramax Films and Ergo Entertainment, tells
the story of a rural Tennessee community transformed by a middle
school project in which students were challenged by their teachers
to collect one paper clip for each life lost in the Holocaust. The film
is available at most video rental stores.
Young Adult:
Toll, Nelly S. Behind the Secret Window.
Spinelli, Jerry. Milkweed.
Yolen, Jane. The Devil’s Arithmetic.
Recommended for Mature High School Students & Adults:
Wiesel, Elie. Night.
Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief.
Tolerance and Diversity Education:
www.tolerance.org
The web project of the Southern Poverty Law Center Outstanding.
Chock-full of anti-bias resources and curriculum for teachers and
web-based activities for students. Also gives information about “Mix
It Up At Lunch” day held each November. Includes links to Teaching
Tolerance magazine, highlighting anti-bias initiatives in schools
around the country.
www.adl.org
The website of The Anti-Defamation League. Includes curriculum
connections, anti-bias lesson plans and resources for K-12 educators.
www.nonamecallingweek.org
In addition to finding out how schools can participate in “No Name
Calling Week,” it also offers great lesson plans about stereotyping
and prejudice, and excellent advice for educators to help students
combat bullying and teasing.
The Terezin Ghetto
Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis
SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT THE HOLOCAUST NEVER
HAPPENED. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT IT DID?
and the Children of Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin.
New York: Holiday House, 2000.
?
1943
APRIL-MAY
Auschwitz is liberated
by the Allies.
GEORGE BRADY IS FREED.
The Holocaust is one of the most thoroughly documented events in human
history. The Germans left massive documentation, including film and
photographs. In trials that occurred on five continents, the Nazis never
denied their crimes. Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation has documented
some 50,000 interviews with Holocaust survivors. Thousands of survivors
have written eyewitness accounts of their experiences. Holocaust denial
is not a sound academic or historical theory, and simply should not be
entertained in the classroom, or anywhere.
?
MAY 8
After Germany surrenders,
Theresienstadt is liberated.
AUGUST 6 & 9
The United States drops an
atomic bomb on Hiroshima
and Nagasaki in Japan.
SEPTEMBER 2
Japan surrenders,
ending World War II.
6 MILLION JEWS DIED
IN THE HOLOCAUST.
1.5 MILLION
WERE CHILDREN.
To Parents and Educators:
Please let us know how this Guide enriched your experience with
Hana’s Suitcase. Share letters, drawings and projects developed in
your classroom. Let us know what sorts of discussions occurred at
school, in the hallway, lunchroom, staff lounge, or over dinner at
home. Your feedback helps us enormously.
While Metro Theater Company cannot return material sent to us,
the actors, staff and board read every letter, savor every drawing.
We often share them with the funders who make our work possible.
If you have some particular message for director Carol North,
playwright Emil Sher or any of the performers, we will be happy
to forward it to them. Thank you for the opportunity to share this
play with your audience. We look forward to hearing from you.
Emily Petkewich,
Education Director/Artistic Associate
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FUNDING PROVIDED BY:
Dear Teacher:
M
etro Theater Company was founded in 1973 to provide innovative professional
theater for young people. Education is integral to our mission. Metro Theater
Company provides a wide range of education programs and services, including
classroom workshops for students, residencies, professional development institutes and
workshops for educators, family workshops and our summer program, ArtsINTERsection.
The Company has toured to 40 states and to Canada, Italy, Japan and Taiwan. Metro has
won numerous awards and honors, and is widely regarded as one of the finest professional
theaters for young people in the nation.
The Simon Foundation
Visit our website
www.metrotheatercompany.org
or write to:
Metro Theater Company
8308 Olive Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132-2814
314-997-6777
Bentley Motors
Metro Theater Company acknowledges with gratitude the many corporations, foundations, public funding agencies and individuals who have made possible the U.S. premiere
production of Hana’s Suitcase.
© Metro Theater Company, 2006
No portion of this Educator Guide may be duplicated without the express written permission of Metro Theater Company.