Yosef Neuhaus: Arrival and Daily Life in Auschwitz-Birkenau during the H...

Memorial Project, 2010

The Memorial Project this year was shirts with each student's Living On person on it. The kids came up with this because they felt that Holocaust remembrance is two-fold; to educate so that it doesn't happen again, as well as to keep the stories living on. These kids felt that these shirts would prompt people to ask for details, thus allowing them a chance to both educate as well as keep their survivor's story alive by telling it. I was very proud of this idea. The shirts had a photo of their Living On survivor on the front, as well as the words "NEVER AGAIN" and "Living On". The back had the name, the birthdate, and the location/situation during the Holocaust. It also included a quote from that person's story. Loved it!!!

I Blew It.

There are so many great break-up lines, and so many of them could fit here. However, the one I am going to use is simply, "It's not you. It's me." I have been, quite honestly, way too busy this semester with school stuff and the blog was one of the casualties of my busy semester. I am sorry for that, because this is one way I truly love interacting with you and the subject matter. It is what is.

However, I can say one thing for certain-- although I love to interact with you and the subject matter through the blog, I did not need it this semester. You guys have been a model Holocaust Literature class. You are lovely, pleasant people, and I have had such great experiences with you this semester. You are focused, and most importantly, you are interactive. You appear to be interested in what we are doing and, I hope, you are GETTING it. You see the connections between the class and life, and hopefully are better people for it. I have had such an amazing time teaching this class this semester and I am so grateful that each and every one of you chose to take it. I feel like I have learned so much from you, as well. I thank each of you who had been in my classes in the past and still elected to put up with me again :) and I thank those of you who knew nothing of me to take a chance on me. I sincerely hope you feel, as I do, that this class is such a beneficial one to prevent the travesties of the Holocaust from happening again, and to learn the dangers of the silent bystander. Seniors, I wish you the best in your futures. I know that I will hear wonderful and amazing successes from each of you. Juniors, you have one more year... make it count. And don't forget where room 222 is, and come see me sometime! I am excited to see some of you in AP next year as well. I love you all, and I hope everything good comes your way.

Love,
Mrs. Davis

Photo

This was in the same email as what's below. It is very striking to me. Talk a little bit about what this picture says to you.

Cartoon

I got an email with this in it. Any thoughts? (If it's too small to read, just click on it and it will put it in another window, larger.)

Propaganda

We studied a lot of different examples of Nazi propaganda in class today. I am posting a few examples on here, but not all. Which of the anti-Semitic examples of Nazi propaganda did you feel was the most "effective" for the Nazi idealogy? Which ones struck you the most?

Week of February 8

Well, friends, we are just a touch behind on our calendar. We will try to get caught up this week, so part of this might be shifted slightly. Wasn't it worth it, though, for you to have that snow day?!?!?! :)

Monday, 2/8
Judaism discussion

Tuesday, 2/9
Propaganda, E and R

Wednesday, 2/10
Propaganda/ Weimar Republic

Thursday, 2/11
OFF!!!
(Parent conferences 12-7)

Friday, 2/12
OFF!!!

Week of February 1

I hope you all enjoyed your slightly extended weekend! I also hope you have a wonderful and productive week this week!!!

Monday, 2/1
Watch "Image Before My Eyes", answering questions

Tuesday, 2/2
Watch "Swing Kids"

Wednesday, 2/3
Finish "Swing Kid"
Discussion

Thursday, 2/4
Propaganda activity

Friday, 2/5
Judaism Discussion

Week of January 25

This week, we are going to start connecting to the historical context. Our main purpose this week is to start to see the life of Jews prior to 1933.

Monday, 1/25
Finish "Fiddler"
Discussion

Tuesday, 1/26
Research in library

Wednesday, 1/27
Research in library

Thursday, 1/28
Further research

Friday, 1/29
Share and Discuss

"Fiddler" and Traditions

What specific aspects of the movie do you think best illustrated the familial relationships and traditions that are so important in Jewish culture? Do you think those two elements benefitted the Jews during the Holocaust or did they benefit their destroyers? In other words, would close family ties and a strong sense of tradition have helped the Jews survive the Holocaust or would they have instead served to make them more vulnerable?

Forty+ Years Later, One Year Later...

Inauguration '09 The above text is hyper-linked to the transcript of President Obama's Inaugural speech from a year ago. We spent a lot of time on Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech in class. What effective strategies did Dr. King employ that you can find elements of in President Obama's? Would you consider this a moving speech? Why or why not? If so (or if not), do you think it achieves its purpose, whatever purpose he intended?

A Unit of Semantics

What thoughts do you have after our initial unit, which is a foundation for the class? We have discussed prejudice, discrimination, racism, anti-Semitism, genocide... Were there things you wanted to say in class, but didn't? What are your feelings on having watched "GATTACA"? Can you see the dangers of an "equal" society?

Week of January 19

This week will find us ending Unit 1 and taking our first test.  I do want to tell you that I have been SOOO impressed with you in this first unit and I hope it will only continue and grow.  :)

Tuesday, 1/19

Holocaust/Shoah/Anti-Semitism

Genocide

UN Handout

Wednesday, 1/20

Test

Thursday, 1/21

"Fiddler on the Roof"

Intro to "Fiddler"

Elements of Drama

Friday, 1/22

"Fiddler"

Who We Are

Had some amazing poems turned in from the '10 Holocaust Literature class.  Here are a few of the most interesting ones...

Who I Am by Krisheena

I am hot cups of apple cider on a winter's day.

I am random whimsical laughter.

I am pacifism and animal rights.

I am old books with crinkly pages.

I am a conforming non-conformist.

I am sketchpads, paint, and brushes.

I am my mother's best friend and my father's only child.

I am iPods with music blaring at full blast.

I am socially awkward.

I am afternoon naps and warm fuzzy blankets.

I am simple, yet complicated.

I am a jumbled puzzle yet to be solved.

Who I Am by Karla

I am grassy meadows on cloudless summer days.

I am daydreams during math class.

I am a smile that remains after it is shared.

I am deep conversation over coffee.

I am bubble wrap, waiting to be popped.

I am secrets of the whispering wind.  

I am America's Next Top Model obsessed marathon.

I am the curiosity of a cat.

I am brownie melts with ice cream on top.

I am John Coltrane's sweetest melodies.  

I am early morning workouts at the gym.

I am facebook.

I am errors concealed by eraser marks.

I am a puzzled expression on a child's face.

I am sin washed away with blood.

I am Karla.

Who I Am by Sierra

I am books and short stories.

I am summer and rainy days.

I am unique.

I am an aspiring accountant.

I am Keds, long socks, and warm clothes.

I am a student with a love for history and science.

I am sushi, chocolate almonds, and voss water.

I am disciplined and respectful.

I am not a morning person or a night person, rather a middle of the day type person.

I am a learner.

I am google and yahoo news.

I am a lover of eco-friendly products.

I am action movies, not drama or romance.

I am crime shows.

I am wii sports.

I am my own person.

Who I Am by Brooke

I am swimming, biking, and hiking.

I am kayaking, running, and canoeing.  

I am outdoors.

I am leaping, turning, and gliding.

I am stretching, bending, and counting.

I am dance.

I am religious, Christian, and structured.

I am a follower, believer, and enlightener.

I am Catholic.

I am warm, sandy, and soothing.

I am relaxing, calming, and gentle.

I am an ocean breeze.

I am frosted, cold, and fun.

I am sharp, speedy, and moveable.

I am ice skates.

I am second-born, house-mate, and the favorite.

I am loving, argumentative, and compassionate.

I am a sister.

I am cheese, milk, and chicken.

I am arroz, musica, and Monterray.

I am pollo loco.

I am being educated, inhaling knowledge, and working.

I am focused, determined, and thinking.

I am student.

I am open-minded, politically absorbed, and unique.

I am loud, hard-working, and an extrovert.

I am me.

Who I Am by Trevor

I am cold winter breeze, toboggans, snow balls.

I am warm pizza dough, seasoned tomato sauce, and freshly cut onions.

I am old school and new school.

I am incapable of writing poems, stories, letters, or anything with words in it.

I am guitar solos and chords.

I am liberal and I believe in change.

I am freedom, equality, and justice.

I am America.

I am red, white, and blue, and all she stands for.

I am outspoken and I don't care who knows it.

I am funny movies, some scary ones.

I am a pizza-making machine.

I am agnostic (we have no idea).

I am confusing, surprising, and simple all in one.

I am loving and kind.

I am an individual.

I am an American.

Who I Am by Rachel

I am winter sunshine.

I am mermaids, unicorns, and dreams.

I am colorful in black and white.

I am should have been Italian.

I am go with the flow.

I am think twice, thrice, and whatever comes after that.

I am an endless story.

I am escape from reality.

I am open-minded with firm opinions.

I am addicted to art; my heroine.

I am claim no religion.

I am music flows through my veins, even when I die.

I am a black sheep.

I am never fit in, go against the current.

I am a mass of contradictions.

I am indecisive.

I am no one is wrong.

I am dive head-first into your passion.

I am never forget.

Welcome to my Newbies!

Well, I am as nervous as I always am at the beginning of this class, but I am also just as excited as always!  It gives me great faith in your generation that so many of you (36!!!) would value the lessons from the Holocaust enough to spend an entire high school credit learning about them!  I am so anxious to get to know each of you and share my passion for Holocaust education.  I think there is much in store for us this semester and I just can't wait to get started!  :)