I am so lucky to have an amazing job at the best high school in the world with the most wonderful students (MOST of the time). Here I will share my musings, reflect on literature, and showcase cool assignments.
We were honored to have Sonja DuBois, Holocaust survivor, hidden child, spend the day with us on Thursday, April 3. Her story was compelling and moving and we so enjoyed getting to know her. She is pictured here with her husband, Ron.
Survivor of Sobibor
Pictured here are some of my students with Mr. Phillip Bialowitz, one of the ten living survivors of the Nazi extermination camp Sobibor. His son, Joe Bialowitz, is in the picture as well. It was an honor to hear Mr. Bialowitz speak.
This memoir by a teenager who survived Auschwitz is a highly acclaimed work of young adult literature. Please use this post for your discussion if you are in this book group.
22 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Well, i guess i am the first to comment on this book. I'm not deeply into the book yet, only about 4 chapters in.. but I read something that shocked me more than anything. In the chapter called "The Ghetto", she said that she actually enjoyed the ghetto! anyone else find that weird?
I agree with you Scott that it's weird that Elli writes about actually enjoying the ghetto. I mean she's been moved from her house to now living in her family in 2 small rooms. In spite of all this she is very optimistic and says "I enjoy the toilet line the most." Elli enjoys the time she has to connect with fellow jews.
One thing I'm really curious about if Elli's mother will become more affectionate as the book goes on. In the beginning of the book I was really stirred because Elli said her mom doesn't hug her. My mom and I are really tight. I can't imagine being dissed by my own mom like Elli is.
Where are you other people who are reading I Have Lived A Thousand Years? Discussions are much better with more than 2 people. Feel free to join in... :)
I am really enjoying this book so far. Just for something different I'm going to share one of my responses. I wrote this after Elli arrived at Michelwerke: "After reading about Elli's excitement for simple pleasures like warm water, towels, and soap, I am really I take SO much for granted. It's easy to forget how blessed I am to always have the ability to have hot water, light at the flip of a switch, and tons of food in my kitchen pantry. If any of these conveniences was taken away, I would probably be uber annoyed and mad. I really respect Elli's attitude in all her circumstances. She's a trooper!"
Scott, what's part of the book has struck you the most?
The part that stuck me alot, but not the most is the part of the book when she gets to Auschwitz and the guard notices her hair and tells her to be older, and her mom to act younger..again you see that some of the guards were actually human..
Alright, i just got done reading the section of the book that talks about when she witnessed the killings of those civilians. Imagine how that felt, having to see all those innocent people die. I can imagine or begin to put into words how i would have felt. I guess I could say I would be scared at least.
Kieley, since your the only one on here, how did that make you feel?
Well, uh...Scott, i'm not kieley, but I felt a little troubled at that section of the book. Well, I was sortof troubled throughout the entire book--as with most Holocaust books that we have read in the class.
Also, the Nazi man who told her to lie about her age was Mendele, was it not? The evil doctor who experimented on the prisoners. I don't really understand why he would have the compassion to save her, but not the others that he had tortured and murdered for his diabolical experiments. Can either of the two of you explain that one for me?
Welcome to the blog page gage. Glad you could finally join us. Um, i dont really know, maybe he just decided to show some human mercy or maybe it was because of her hair..it was blonde you know..
That still seems to me to be quite arbitrary. Random niceness? Can't be the reason. This man was CRAZY. Have you heard of some of his experiments? Ridiculous stuff. Couldn't have been a blonde-thing. Kieley, do you have an explanation?
When i first started reading the book i really didn't like it. As i started to get to reading more i started to enjoy it. I am almost done and am ready to find out what all happens!
Speaking of the blonde hair situation with Dr. Mengele, another thing that i thought was weird was when she assaulted the guard for picking on her mother. I thought that she would have gotten shot or punished greater. She was just beaten then let go.
Although this is by far the most active board, the posting of numerous two sentence comments was not exactly what I had in mine. Nonetheless, you all are doing great. You will like your grade, I am sure.
I also want to know how she got the strentgh to walk out. I mean i could have not done that. I don't even think i know what i would have done. I feel like she couldn't handle being in the same room or you could say area with the guard.
That's what I was thinking. I don't know how she got to walking again that fast. The doctor (I think) said that she was totally paralyzed. Also when she got to the other camp she was walking all by herself. She walked slow, but still was walking! It doesn't make to much since. Well the book is getting better. I am almost done!
That's what I was thinking. I don't know how she got to walking again that fast. The doctor (I think) said that she was totally paralyzed. Also when she got to the other camp she was walking all by herself. She walked slow, but still was walking! It doesn't make to much since. Well the book is getting better. I am almost done!
I don't know either how she got to walking so fast, but what i think maybe it was a miracle. I know it is in a book but this book is based on a true story so i think it was something that was a miracle. I agree with leah the book is getting better!
I finished the book and i have to say i liked it after all. When i found out she found her brother i was suprised. I thought they would never see each other again, and when it said the mother said it was him I thought that it was not going to be and they wouldn't see him. But i guess I was wrong!! It also really sucks that when she went back to school she didn't know anyone that went there. Did she ever get her poems back? I don't think it said
Hey Scott, I wanted to respond to one of your earlier posts about Elli witnessing the murders of innocent civilians. I must say that part was disturbing all around because Elli is just a girl and I can't imagine seeing people die if I was just a kid and let alone people who has done nothing wrong.
Leah I'm glad you liked the book after all. I thought it was easy to follow and I really enjoyed seeing Elli and her mother become closer as the story went on. I was curious about her poems as well? Does anyone know if Elli got her poems back?
22 comments:
Well, i guess i am the first to comment on this book. I'm not deeply into the book yet, only about 4 chapters in.. but I read something that shocked me more than anything. In the chapter called "The Ghetto", she said that she actually enjoyed the ghetto! anyone else find that weird?
I agree with you Scott that it's weird that Elli writes about actually enjoying the ghetto. I mean she's been moved from her house to now living in her family in 2 small rooms. In spite of all this she is very optimistic and says "I enjoy the toilet line the most." Elli enjoys the time she has to connect with fellow jews.
One thing I'm really curious about if Elli's mother will become more affectionate as the book goes on. In the beginning of the book I was really stirred because Elli said her mom doesn't hug her. My mom and I are really tight. I can't imagine being dissed by my own mom like Elli is.
Where are you other people who are reading I Have Lived A Thousand Years? Discussions are much better with more than 2 people. Feel free to join in... :)
I am really enjoying this book so far. Just for something different I'm going to share one of my responses. I wrote this after Elli arrived at Michelwerke:
"After reading about Elli's excitement for simple pleasures like warm water, towels, and soap, I am really I take SO much for granted. It's easy to forget how blessed I am to always have the ability to have hot water, light at the flip of a switch, and tons of food in my kitchen pantry. If any of these conveniences was taken away, I would probably be uber annoyed and mad. I really respect Elli's attitude in all her circumstances. She's a trooper!"
Scott, what's part of the book has struck you the most?
The part that stuck me alot, but not the most is the part of the book when she gets to Auschwitz and the guard notices her hair and tells her to be older, and her mom to act younger..again you see that some of the guards were actually human..
Yeah that's a good point Scott. It's hard to believe that they were human but actions like that show they really were humans.
that comment was from Kieley
Alright, i just got done reading the section of the book that talks about when she witnessed the killings of those civilians. Imagine how that felt, having to see all those innocent people die. I can imagine or begin to put into words how i would have felt. I guess I could say I would be scared at least.
Kieley, since your the only one on here, how did that make you feel?
Well, uh...Scott, i'm not kieley, but I felt a little troubled at that section of the book. Well, I was sortof troubled throughout the entire book--as with most Holocaust books that we have read in the class.
Also, the Nazi man who told her to lie about her age was Mendele, was it not? The evil doctor who experimented on the prisoners. I don't really understand why he would have the compassion to save her, but not the others that he had tortured and murdered for his diabolical experiments. Can either of the two of you explain that one for me?
Welcome to the blog page gage. Glad you could finally join us. Um, i dont really know, maybe he just decided to show some human mercy or maybe it was because of her hair..it was blonde you know..
That still seems to me to be quite arbitrary. Random niceness? Can't be the reason. This man was CRAZY. Have you heard of some of his experiments? Ridiculous stuff. Couldn't have been a blonde-thing. Kieley, do you have an explanation?
When i first started reading the book i really didn't like it. As i started to get to reading more i started to enjoy it. I am almost done and am ready to find out what all happens!
Speaking of the blonde hair situation with Dr. Mengele, another thing that i thought was weird was when she assaulted the guard for picking on her mother. I thought that she would have gotten shot or punished greater. She was just beaten then let go.
She got ripped in half by that guard. But what i wanna know is how her mom gained the strength to walk out of the showers after that ordeal.
Although this is by far the most active board, the posting of numerous two sentence comments was not exactly what I had in mine. Nonetheless, you all are doing great. You will like your grade, I am sure.
I also want to know how she got the strentgh to walk out. I mean i could have not done that. I don't even think i know what i would have done. I feel like she couldn't handle being in the same room or you could say area with the guard.
That's what I was thinking. I don't know how she got to walking again that fast. The doctor (I think) said that she was totally paralyzed. Also when she got to the other camp she was walking all by herself. She walked slow, but still was walking! It doesn't make to much since. Well the book is getting better. I am almost done!
That's what I was thinking. I don't know how she got to walking again that fast. The doctor (I think) said that she was totally paralyzed. Also when she got to the other camp she was walking all by herself. She walked slow, but still was walking! It doesn't make to much since. Well the book is getting better. I am almost done!
I don't know either how she got to walking so fast, but what i think maybe it was a miracle. I know it is in a book but this book is based on a true story so i think it was something that was a miracle. I agree with leah the book is getting better!
I finished the book and i have to say i liked it after all. When i found out she found her brother i was suprised. I thought they would never see each other again, and when it said the mother said it was him I thought that it was not going to be and they wouldn't see him. But i guess I was wrong!! It also really sucks that when she went back to school she didn't know anyone that went there. Did she ever get her poems back? I don't think it said
Hey Scott, I wanted to respond to one of your earlier posts about Elli witnessing the murders of innocent civilians. I must say that part was disturbing all around because Elli is just a girl and I can't imagine seeing people die if I was just a kid and let alone people who has done nothing wrong.
Leah I'm glad you liked the book after all. I thought it was easy to follow and I really enjoyed seeing Elli and her mother become closer as the story went on. I was curious about her poems as well? Does anyone know if Elli got her poems back?
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