Living among the Dead

My Grandmother's Holocaust Survival Story of Love and Strength - Educator's Guide

Adena Bernstein Astrowsky

• Publisher: Amsterdam Publishers
• Year: 2022
• ISBN:
  9789493231757
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Theory & Practice

An Educator's Guide is now available to assist those teaching about the Holocaust by using the book, Living among the Dead. The Guide can be used chapter by chapter to enhance the student's understanding of the narrative. There are multiple suggestions and lessons to take us deeper into the history of the Holocaust and this story of strength, family love, community solidarity, and Jewish history.

1

Activities

1. The author has fond memories of time spent with her grandmother, Mania, who she also refers to as “Bubbie,” the Yiddish word for grandmother. If you have relatives you have grown up around, share a story about your memories with one of them. Or, if you have visited a special relative who lives in another city, state, or country, write a letter to that person, thanking them for the time they spent with you.
2. Music was a significant part of Mania’s life. Frederick Chopin was one of the most famous composers and pianists of the time. Expose your students to Chopin for an extra activity. Here are some resources: https://study.com/academy/lesson/frederic-chopin-lesson-for-kids.html

Vocabulary

1. Bar Mitzvah
2. Bat Mitzvah
3. Shabbat

Discussion Questions

1. Why is having children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren so significant for Mania?
2. The author is upset with her children when they say they are “starving” (6). Why does this bother her? Have your parents said similar things to you? Explain how trauma caused by hunger, homelessness or immigration, can be passed on through generations.
3. Discuss the “presence of absence” (2). Do you identify with this, or are you surrounded by family? How did the Holocaust affect families for generations?
4. The author ends this chapter with this: “By knowing your roots and remembering your history, I hope that we will all do our part to help achieve peace and to prevent further genocides” (13). How can knowing your roots and history help lay the foundation for a more peaceful future?

Resources

1. A short video on the significance of Bar and Bat Mitzvahs: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/bar-and-bat-mitzvah-101/.
2. Discuss the Jewish practice of leaving rocks on a grave: https://www.jewish-funeral-home.com/why-do-jews-place-stones-or-pebbles-on-a grave/
3. A video explaining Shabbat:
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjmjZWHXKFY.
5. How to make Challah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFD7_y9ux-U&ab_channel=TheCookingFoodie

2

Activity

1. The website, https://maps.geshergalicia.org/, has a wonderful selection of maps from Europe, and the one below is just an example of what you can find.

This map shows where Mania lived and the distance to Lwow.

Using Google Earth, take your students on a tour of the area. There is lots to see.

Vocabulary

1. Hasidic
2. Orthodox
3. kosher
4. gymnasium
5. Yiddish

Discussion Questions

1. What did Mania do as a young girl that probably helped her later as a writer? What is the role of a school in teaching children reading?
2. What is the role of men at the beginning of this chapter? What are attributes or “signs of the times” that are different now?
3. Describe how Katya is both traditional and modern at the same time.
4. Mania states, “Having sisters makes you important and makes you belong somewhere” (20). Explain what this means.
5. Describe Rivka and what Mania admires about her. How is Rivka like her mother, Katya?
6. Why do you think the author chose to include a description of Rivka in Mania’s words (21-22)? What does this add to the story so far? When was it written, and why is the date significant?
7. Describe Nechamka. How is her relationship with Mania different from Rivka’s?

3

Sunflowers of Włodzimierz (Photo Credit: Adena Astrowsky, 2021)

This photo was taken driving through Ukraine. It was the most splendid thing thinking of Mania’s words as we passed fields and fields of sunflowers.

Words cannot express the contrast between the beautiful countryside filled with sunflowers and the mass graves spread throughout.

Activity

1. Looking at the photograph on the first page, what do you notice? Does the photo look similar to any in your family’s collection of photos? This is a great place to help students make connections and add relevance to studying the Holocaust. So often, students see black and white pictures and think they are old and have nothing to do with them. But many of our students might have a photo (probably on their phones) taken at a beach or with a family member. Ask students to share a photo that reminds them of this one (literally, or the spirit of the photo) and discuss how people in earlier times and different places did many of the same activities we do today.

Vocabulary

1. Yahrzeit glass

Discussion Questions

1. Mania often talks of sunflowers. Have students research the symbolism of sunflowers and what they represent. Ask them to find the origin story for sunflowers. How and why have they been a symbol of happiness?
2. This chapter is in Mania’s voice. Discuss the difference and why the author chose to include her grandmother's words.
3. The chapter ends with two humorous stories about Nechamka. Why is humor important, even in a book about the Holocaust? Ask students to recall funny stories from their own childhoods and share, if they are comfortable doing so. Although we are reminded of Nechamka’s d...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Untitled
• Copyright
• Contents
• Adena’s introduction
• Hilary’s introduction
• Major Themes in the Memoir
• Glossary of Terms
• The Beginning: Why Teach the Holocaust?
• History and Social Studies Standards for California
• Timeline of the Holocaust
• Chapter Guide
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Chapter 16
• Chapter 17
• Chapter 18
• Chapter 19
• Chapter 20
• Chapter 21
• Notes