
Survivors – True Stories of Children in the Holocaust
Sunday to Thursday: 09:00-17:00
Fridays and Holiday eves: 09:00-14:00
Yad Vashem is closed on Saturdays and all Jewish Holidays.
Entrance to the Holocaust History Museum is not permitted for children under the age of 10. Babies in strollers or carriers will not be permitted to enter.
Survivors – True Stories of Children in the Holocaust
Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust
Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun
Scholastic Inc., 2004
196 pages
Mathei, aged ten, escapes from a crowded cattle car going to Auschwitz and becomes a partisan. Seventeen-year-old Jack Gruener survives a grueling death march, and despite terrible conditions, tries to help a fellow Jew along the way. Five-year-old Sarah is hidden by a Polish family in a small attic with her family for two years. Herbert Karliner leaves Hamburg with his family on the ship St. Louis. Refused entry to Cuba, they and the other passengers are sent back to Europe. Twelve-year-old Walter Ziffer always remembered his father's words to him: "Always do your best, and never forget that you are somebody."
Suitable for students aged nine to twelve, this book chronicles true stories of eight Jewish children whose lives changed forever at the outbreak of World War II. The authors have interviewed all eight survivors and state that the details, though difficult to read, have not been softened because of the desire to depict the reality of the events.
Many Holocaust survivors take courses at Yad Vashem in order to learn how to give their testimonies to groups of adults and high school students. Yad Vashem encourages these survivors to end their testimony on a note of hope, continuity, and a look toward the future. Each of the stories in this book ends on such a note, thereby following Yad Vashem's educational guidelines. The survivors in the book marry, have families, and live fulfilling lives, which is a testament to their determination to survive and overcome the tragic years of the Holocaust.
Teachers can formulate several lesson plans from the testimonies, and there is a useful, short explanation about the Holocaust at the beginning of the book, a map of Europe during the years 1939-45, and a short glossary of terms at the end of the book.
Thank you for registering to receive information from Yad Vashem.
You will receive periodic updates regarding recent events, publications and new initiatives.
"The work of Yad Vashem is critical and necessary to remind the world of the consequences of hate"
Paul Daly
#GivingTuesday
Donate to Educate Against Hate
Worldwide antisemitism is on the rise.
At Yad Vashem, we strive to make the world a better place by combating antisemitism through teacher training, international lectures and workshops and online courses.
We need you to partner with us in this vital mission to #EducateAgainstHate
The good news:
The Yad Vashem website had recently undergone a major upgrade!
The less good news:
The page you are looking for has apparently been moved.
We are therefore redirecting you to what we hope will be a useful landing page.
For any questions/clarifications/problems, please contact: webmaster@yadvashem.org.il
Press the X button to continue