The Diary of Anne Frank

Transcription

1 Prime Stage Theatre 1 The Diary of Anne Frank RESOURCE AND TOUR GUIDE FUNDED IN PART BY: THE GRABLE FOUNDATION, EQUITABLE RESOURCES FOUNDATION AND LAUREL FOUNDATION April 28 May 5, 2007 Jaime Slavinsky, Education Director

2 Prime Stage Theatre 2 CONTENTS I. Guidelines for Teaching about The Holocaust 3 II. Anne Frank: Biography 10 III. A History in Pictures 11 IV. Flares of Memory 24 V. Holocaust Diaries 33 VI. Sources and Suggested Websites 34 VII. Carnegie Library Book List 35 VIII. How the Play will Bring the Literature to Life 36 IX. Reluctant Readers 38 X. Theatre Etiquette 39 XI. Mission and Vision of Prime Stage Theatre 40 XII. Feedback Form 41

3 Prime Stage Theatre 3 GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST Courtesy of United States Holocaust Memorial Museum 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place. SW Washington, DC (202) Why Teach Holocaust History? The history of the Holocaust represents one of the most effective, and most extensively documented, subjects for a pedagogical examination of basic moral issues. A structured inquiry into Holocaust history yields critical lessons for an investigation of human behavior. A study of the Holocaust also addresses one of the central tenets of education in the United States which is to examine what it means to be a responsible citizen. Through a study of the Holocaust, students can come to realize that: democratic institutions and values are not automatically sustained, but need to be appreciated, nurtured, and protected; silence and indifference to the suffering of others, or to the infringement of civil rights in any society, can -- however, unintentionally -- serve to perpetuate the problems; and the Holocaust was not an accident in history -- it occurred because individuals, organizations, and governments made choices which not only legalized discrimination, but which allowed prejudice, hatred, and ultimately, mass murder to occur. Questions of Rationale Because the objective of teaching any subject is to engage the intellectual curiosity of the student in order to inspire critical thought and personal growth, it is helpful to structure your lesson plan on the Holocaust by considering throughout, questions of rationale. Before addressing what and how to teach, we would recommend that you contemplate the following: Why should students learn this history? What are the most significant lessons students can learn about the Holocaust? Why is a particular reading, image, document, or film an appropriate medium for conveying the lessons about the Holocaust which you wish to teach? Among the various rationales offered by educators who have incorporated a study of the Holocaust into their various courses and disciplines are these: The Holocaust was a watershed event, not only in the 20th century, but in the entire history of humanity. Study of the Holocaust assists students in developing understanding of the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and stereotyping in any society. It helps students develop an awareness of the value of pluralism, and encourages tolerance of diversity in a pluralistic society.

4 Prime Stage Theatre 4 The Holocaust provides a context for exploring the dangers of remaining silent, apathetic, and indifferent in the face of others' oppression. Holocaust history demonstrates how a modern nation can utilize its technological expertise and bureaucratic infrastructure to implement destructive policies ranging from social engineering to genocide. A study of the Holocaust helps students think about the use and abuse of power, and the role and responsibilities of individuals, organizations, and nations when confronted with civil rights violations and/or policies of genocide. As students gain insight into the many historical, social, religious, political, and economic factors which cumulatively resulted in the Holocaust, they gain a perspective on how history happens, and how a convergence of factors can contribute to the disintegration of civilized values. Part of one's responsibility as a citizen in a democracy is to learn to identify the danger signals, and to know when to react. When you, as an educator, take the time to consider the rationale for your lesson on the Holocaust, you will be more likely to select content that speaks to your students' interests and which provides them with a clearer understanding of the history. Most students demonstrate a high level of interest in studying the Holocaust precisely because the subject raises questions of fairness, justice, individual identity, peer pressure, conformity, indifference, and obedience -- issues which adolescents confront in their daily lives. Students are also struck by the magnitude of the Holocaust, and the fact that so many people acting as collaborators, perpetrators, and bystanders allowed this genocide to occur by failing to protest or resist. Methodological Considerations 1. Define what you mean by "Holocaust" The Holocaust refers to a specific event in 20th century history: The systematic, bureaucratic annihilation of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and their collaborators as a central act of state during World War II. In 1933 approximately nine million Jews lived in the 21 countries of Europe that would be occupied by Germany during the war. By 1945 two out of every three European Jews had been killed. Although Jews were the primary victims, up to one half million Gypsies and at least 250,000 mentally or physically disabled persons were also victims of genocide. As Nazi tyranny spread across Europe from 1933 to 1945, millions of other innocent people were persecuted and murdered. More than three million Soviet prisoners of war were killed because of their nationality. Poles, as well as other Slavs, were targeted for slave labor, and as a result of the Nazi terror, almost two million perished. Homosexuals and others deemed "anti-social" were also persecuted and often murdered. In addition, thousands of political and religious dissidents such as communists, socialists, trade unionists, and Jehovah's Witnesses were persecuted for their beliefs and behavior and many of these individuals died as a result of maltreatment. 2. Avoid comparisons of pain. A study of the Holocaust should always highlight the different policies carried out by the Nazi regime towards various groups of people; however, these distinctions should not be presented as a basis for comparison of suffering between them. Avoid generalizations which suggest exclusivity, such as "the victims of the Holocaust suffered the most cruelty ever faced by a people in the history of humanity." One cannot presume that the horror of an individual, family or community destroyed by the Nazis was any greater than that experienced by victims of other genocides.

5 Prime Stage Theatre 5 3. Avoid simple answers to complex history. A study of the Holocaust raises difficult questions about human behavior, and it often involves complicated answers as to why events occurred. Be wary of oversimplifications. Allow students to contemplate the various factors which contributed to the Holocaust; do not attempt to reduce Holocaust history to one or two catalysts in isolation from the other factors which came into play. For example, the Holocaust was not simply the logical and inevitable consequence of unbridled racism. Rather, racism, combined with centuries-old bigotry, renewed by a nationalistic fervor which emerged in Europe in the latter half of the 19th century, fueled by Germany's defeat in World War I and its national humiliation following the Treaty of Versailles, exacerbated by worldwide economic hard times, the ineffectiveness of the Weimar Republic, and international indifference, and catalyzed by the political charisma, militaristic inclusiveness, and manipulative propaganda of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime, contributed to the eventuality of the Holocaust. 4. Just because it happened, doesn't mean it was inevitable. Too often, students have the simplistic impression that the Holocaust was inevitable. Just because an historical event took place, and it was documented in textbooks and on film, does not mean that it had to happen. This seemingly obvious concept is often overlooked by students and teachers alike. The Holocaust took place because individuals, groups, and nations made decisions to act or not to act. By focusing on those decisions, we gain insight into history and human nature, and we can better help our students to become critical thinkers. 5. Strive for precision of language. Any study of the Holocaust touches upon nuances of human behavior. Because of the complexity of the history, there is a temptation to overgeneralize and thus to distort the facts (e.g., "all concentration camps were killing centers" or "all Germans were collaborators"). Rather, teachers must strive to help students distinguish between categories of behavior and relevant historical references; to clarify the differences between prejudice and discrimination, collaborators and bystanders, armed and spiritual resistance, direct orders and assumed orders, concentration camps and killing centers, and guilt and responsibility. Words that describe human behavior often have multiple meanings. Resistance, for example, usually refers to a physical act of armed revolt. During the Holocaust, it also meant partisan activism that ranged from smuggling messages, food, and weapons to actual military engagement. But, resistance also embraced willful disobedience: continuing to practice religious and cultural traditions in defiance of the rules; creating fine art, music and poetry inside ghettos and concentration camps. For many, simply maintaining the will to remain alive in the face of abject brutality was the surest act of spiritual resistance. 6. Make careful distinctions about sources of information. Students need practice in distinguishing between fact, opinion, and fiction; between primary and secondary sources, and between types of evidence such as court testimonies, oral histories, and other written documents. Hermeneutics -- the science of interpretation -- should be called into

6 Prime Stage Theatre 6 play to help guide your students in their analysis of sources. Students should be encouraged to consider why a particular text was written, who the intended audience was, whether there were any biases inherent in the information, any gaps in discussion, whether gaps in certain passages were inadvertent or not, and how the information has been used to interpret various events. Because scholars often base their research on different bodies of information, varying interpretations of history can emerge. Consequently, all interpretations are subject to analytical evaluation. Only by refining their own "hermeneutic of suspicion" can students mature into readers who discern the difference between legitimate scholars who present competing historical interpretations, and those who distort or deny historical fact for personal or political gain. 7. Try to avoid stereotypical descriptions. Though all Jews were targeted for destruction by the Nazis, the experiences of all Jews were not the same. Simplistic views and stereotyping take place when groups of people are viewed as monolithic in attitudes and actions. How ethnic groups or social clusters are labeled and portrayed in school curricula has a direct impact on how students perceive groups in their daily lives. Remind your students that although members of a group may share common experiences and beliefs, generalizations about them, without benefit of modifying or qualifying terms (e.g., "sometimes," "usually," "in many cases but not all") tend to stereotype group behavior and distort historical reality. Thus, all Germans cannot be characterized as Nazis, nor should any nationality be reduced to a singular or one-dimensional description. 8. Do not romanticize history to engage students' interest. One of the great risks of Holocaust education is the danger of fostering cynicism in our students by exposing them to the worst of human nature. Regardless, accuracy of fact must be a teacher's priority. People who risked their lives to rescue victims of Nazi oppression provide useful and important role models for students, yet an overemphasis on heroic tales in a unit on the Holocaust results in an inaccurate and unbalanced account of the history. It is important to bear in mind that "at best, less than one-half of one percent of the total population [of non-jews] under Nazi occupation helped to rescue Jews." [Oliner and Oliner, 1991, p. 363] 9. Contextualize the history you are teaching. Events of the Holocaust, and particularly how individuals and organizations behaved at that time, must be placed in an historical context so that students can begin to comprehend the circumstances that encouraged or discouraged these acts. Frame your approach to specific events and acts of complicity or defiance by considering when and where an act took place; the immediate consequences to oneself and one's family of assisting victims; the impact of contemporaneous events; the degree of control the Nazis had on a country or local population; the cultural attitudes of particular native populations historically toward different victim groups, and the availability, effectiveness, and risk of potential hiding places. Students should be reminded that individuals and groups do not always fit neatly into the same categories of behavior. The very same people did not always act consistently as "bystanders," "collaborators," "perpetrators," or "rescuers." Individuals and groups often behaved differently depending upon changing events and circumstances. The same person who in 1933 might have

7 Prime Stage Theatre 7 stood by and remained uninvolved while witnessing social discrimination of Jews, might later have joined up with the SA and become a collaborator or have been moved to dissent vocally or act in defense of Jewish friends and neighbors. Encourage your students not to categorize groups of people only on the basis of their experiences during the Holocaust: contextualization is critical so that victims are not perceived only as victims. Although Jews were the central victims of the Nazi regime, they had a vibrant culture and long history in Europe prior to the Nazi era. By exposing students to some of the cultural contributions and achievements of two thousand years of European Jewish life, you help students to balance their perception of Jews as victims and to better appreciate the traumatic disruption in Jewish history caused by the Holocaust. Similarly, students may know very little about Gypsies, except for the negative images and derogatory descriptions promulgated by the Nazis. Students would benefit from a broader viewpoint, learning something about Gypsy history and culture, and understanding the diverse ways of life among different Gypsy groups. 10. Translate statistics into people. In any study of the Holocaust, the sheer number of victims challenges easy comprehension. Teachers need to show that individual people are behind the statistics, comprised of families of grandparents, parents, and children. First-person accounts and memoir literature provide students with a way of making meaning out of collective numbers. Although students should be careful about overgeneralizing from first-person accounts such as those from survivors, journalists, relief workers, bystanders, and liberators, personal accounts can supplement a study of genocide by moving it "from a welter of statistics, remote places and events, to one that is immersed in the 'personal' and 'particular.'" [Totten, 1987, p. 63]. 11. Be sensitive to appropriate written and audio-visual content. One of the primary concerns of educators is how to introduce students to the horrors of the Holocaust. Graphic material should be used in a judicious manner and only to the extent necessary to achieve the objective of the lesson. Teachers should remind themselves that each student and each class is different, and that what seems appropriate for one may not be for all. Students are essentially a "captive audience." When we assault them with images of horror for which they are unprepared, we violate a basic trust: the obligation of a teacher to provide a "safe" learning environment. The assumption that all students will seek to understand human behavior after being exposed to horrible images is fallacious. Some students may be so appalled by images of brutality and mass murder that they are discouraged from studying the subject further; others may become fascinated in a more voyeuristic fashion, subordinating further critical analysis of the history to the superficial titillation of looking at images of starvation, disfigurement, and death. Many events and deeds that occurred within the context of the Holocaust do not rely for their depiction directly on the graphic horror of mass killings or other barbarisms. It is recommended that images and texts that do not exploit either the victims' memories or the students' emotional vulnerability form the centerpiece of Holocaust curricula.

8 Prime Stage Theatre Strive for balance in establishing whose perspective informs your study of the Holocaust. Often, too great an emphasis is placed on the victims of Nazi aggression, rather than on the victimizers who forced people to make impossible choices or simply left them with no choice to make. Most students express empathy for victims of mass murder. But, it is not uncommon for students to assume that the victims may have done something to justify the actions against them, and thus to place inappropriate blame on the victims themselves. There is also a tendency among students to glorify power, even when it is used to kill innocent people. Many teachers indicate that their students are intrigued and in some cases, intellectually seduced, by the symbols of power which pervaded Nazi propaganda (e.g., the swastika, Nazi flags and regalia, Nazi slogans, rituals, and music). Rather than highlight the trappings of Nazi power, teachers should ask students to evaluate how such elements are used by governments (including our own) to build, protect, and mobilize a society. Students should be encouraged to contemplate as well how such elements can be abused and manipulated by governments to implement and legitimize acts of terror and even genocide. In any review of the propaganda used to promote Nazi ideology, Nazi stereotypes of targeted victim groups, and the Hitler regime's justifications for persecution and murder, teachers need to remind students that just because such policies and beliefs are under discussion in class does not mean they are acceptable. It would be a terrible irony if students arrived at such a conclusion. Furthermore, any study of the Holocaust should address both the victims and the perpetrators of violence, and attempt to portray each as human beings, capable of moral judgment and independent decision-making but challenged by circumstances which made both self-defense and independent thought not merely difficult but perilous and potentially lethal. 13. Select appropriate learning activities. Just because students favor a certain learning activity does not necessarily mean that it should be used. For example, such activities as word scrambles, crossword puzzles, and other gimmicky exercises tend not to encourage critical analysis, but lead instead to low level types of thinking and, in the case of Holocaust curricula, trivialize the importance of studying this history. When the effects of a particular activity run counter to the rationale for studying the history, then that activity should not be used. Similarly, activities that encourage students to construct models of killing camps should also be reconsidered since any assignment along this line will almost inevitably end up being simplistic, time-consuming, and tangential to the educational objectives for studying the history of the Holocaust. Thought-provoking learning activities are preferred, but even here, there are pitfalls to avoid. In studying complex human behavior, many teachers rely upon simulation exercises meant to help students "experience" unfamiliar situations. Even when teachers take great care to prepare a class for such an activity, simulating experiences from the Holocaust remains pedagogically unsound. The activity may engage students, but they often forget the purpose of the lesson, and even

9 Prime Stage Theatre 9 worse, they are left with the impression at the conclusion of the activity that they now know what it was like during the Holocaust. Holocaust survivors and eyewitnesses are among the first to indicate the grave difficulty of finding words to describe their experiences. Even more revealing, they argue the virtual impossibility of trying to simulate accurately what it was like to live on a daily basis with fear, hunger, disease, unfathomable loss, and the unrelenting threat of abject brutality and death. The problem with trying to simulate situations from the Holocaust is that complex events and actions are over-simplified, and students are left with a skewed view of history. Since there are numerous primary source accounts, both written and visual, as well as survivors and eyewitnesses who can describe actual choices faced and made by individuals, groups, and nations during this period, teachers should draw upon these resources and refrain from simulation games that lead to a trivialization of the subject matter. If they are not attempting to recreate situations from the Holocaust, simulation activities can be used effectively, especially when they have been designed to explore varying aspects of human behavior such as fear, scapegoating, conflict resolution, and difficult decision-making. Asking students in the course of a discussion, or as part of a writing assignment, to consider various perspectives on a particular event or historical experience is fundamentally different from involving a class in a simulation game. 14. Reinforce the objectives of your lesson plan. As in all teaching situations, the opening and closing lessons are critically important. A strong opening should serve to dispel misinformation students may have prior to studying the Holocaust. It should set a reflective tone, move students from passive to active learners, indicate to students that their ideas and opinions matter, and establish that this history has multiple ramifications for themselves as individuals and as members of society as a whole. A strong closing should emphasize synthesis by encouraging students to connect this history to other world events as well as the world they live in today. Students should be encouraged to reflect on what they have learned and to consider what this study means to them personally and as citizens of a democracy. Most importantly, your closing lesson should encourage further examination of Holocaust history, literature, and art. You may visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum s website at for further information on teaching about The Holocaust including access to a PDF version of Teaching about the Holocaust: A Resource Book for Educators which provides guidelines for teaching about the Holocaust, a historical summary and chronology, and an annotated bibliography and videography on Holocaust-related topics.

10 Prime Stage Theatre 10 ANNE FRANK BIOGRAPHY ( ) Annelies Marie Frank was born June 12th, 1929 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Her parents Otto Frank and Edith Frank-Hollander called their daughter Anne. She and her older sister Margot frequently spent their summer in Aachen, Germany, with their grandmother. In 1933, in response to Hitler's anti-jewish decrees, Mr. Frank opened a branch of his company, Opteka, in Amsterdam and began planning to bring his family there. The Frank family finally moved into a house on Medwedplein in southern Amsterdam in 1933 and Anne began to attend the nearby Montessori school, where she excelled. Anne made many friends and was an exceptional student. Seven years later, however, the Nazis invaded the Netherlands and in five days, Holland capitulated to the invading German forces. Anne's father had already begun to convert the annex of his company at Prinsengracht 263 into a hiding place. Under Nazi law, Anne was forced to leave the Montessori school and attend the Jewish Secondary School. On her 13th birthday, in 1942, Anne received as a gift from her parents, a diary. She immediately took to writing her intimate thoughts and musings. A few short weeks later, however, Margot received a notice from the Nazi SS to report for work detail at a labor camp. On July 5th, 1942, Anne and the Frank family moved to the "Secret Annex" adjacent to Mr. Frank's former office on Prinsengracht. Anne's famous diary captured two years of hiding in the attic above the store, but it ended on August 4, 1944, when their hiding place was betrayed by an unknown informant. Anne's precious diary was among the many personal effects left behind by the family. Anne, and the seven others who shared the cramped Secret Annex with her, were all deported to Westerbork camp. A few weeks later as the Allies began retaking Holland, the inhabitants of the camp were moved to Auschwitz and later to other camps. Anne ultimately ended up in Bergen-Belsen camp in Germany, after being evacuated from Auschwitz in October, As starvation, cold, and disease swept through the camp's population, Margot, Anne's sister, developed typhus and died. A few days later, Anne herself, in April, 1945, succumbed to the disease a few weeks before the camp was liberated by the British. She was 15 years old. Visit for an interactive exhibition about Anne Frank, the writer.

11 Prime Stage Theatre 11 A HISTORY IN PICTURES May 12, 1889 Otto Frank is born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. January 16, 1900 Edith Frank is born in Aachen, Germany. May 12, 1925 Otto Frank and Edith Hollander are married in a synagogue in Aachen, Germany.

12 Prime Stage Theatre 12 February 16, 1926 Margot Frank is born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. June 12, 1929 Anne Frank is born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. By the year Anne Frank was born, 1929, life in Germany had become very hard. Poverty and unemployment were at an all-time high and most Germans were dissatisfied with their government. A new political party was founded in 1920 called the German National Socialist Labor Party. This party, commonly known as the Nazi Party, was led by Adolf Hitler. January 30, 1933 Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany. Hitler believed that the German people were a superior race, stronger, more intelligent than any other people in the world. Hitler promised that once this race regained control of the government and of the lands in other countries that Germany needed to survive and prosper; the German people would enjoy a beautiful future. In ranting speeches, Hitler blamed the Jews for all of Germany s social, political and economic problems. In 1929 this prejudice won support from people desperate to find a scapegoat for their troubles and to believe in their own power again. By 1933, the Nazi Party was the largest party in Germany and Hitler was appointed to head the government. Hitler took control of every aspect of daily life. Anyone who opposed him was beaten or imprisoned. Soon the prisons were overcrowded and the first detention or concentration camp was built in Dachau in March of 1933.

13 Prime Stage Theatre 13 In the summer of 1933, Anne, Margot and Edith went to live with Edith s mother in Aachen, Germany. With Hitler taking more and more measures against the Jews, the Frank family feared what the future might hold if they stayed in Germany. When Otto Frank received an offer to start a new company in Amsterdam, the family decided to move to the Netherlands. On September 15, 1933, Otto Frank establishes the company Opekta-Works which sold pectin, a powdered fruit extract used to make jam, in Amsterdam. On December 5, 1933, Edith and Margot Frank move to Amsterdam. Anne stayed with her grandmother until the new house was completely furnished. She joined her family in Amsterdam in February of Anne and her family lived on the Merwedeplein in Amsterdam. Anne often played with her friends in the street, which wasn t dangerous since few families owned cars. In 1934, Anne began attending the local Montessori school along with her sister Margot. Anne was already reading and writing quite well. LESSON SUGGESTION Research the differences between a Montessori school and an average public school. Create a day of learning based on the concepts followed by a Montessori school. Evaluate the pros and cons of a Montessori education.

14 Prime Stage Theatre 14 In 1933, Miep Santrouschitz was hired by Otto Frank at Opekta-Works to handle a telephone information service for customers who had questions about making jam. Miep shared Otto s fierce opposition to Hitler and the Nazis. A strong friendship grew between Miep and the Frank family. She and her fiancé, Jan Gies, regularly visited the Frank family on Saturdays for dinner. From 1934 when Anne joined her family in their new home in Amsterdam, until the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, Anne enjoyed a normal and happy childhood. She had a large circle of friends and enjoyed going to parties with them and to the ice cream parlor called Oasis in her neighborhood. The Frank Family often spent their summers at the beach in Zandvoort aan Zee.

15 Prime Stage Theatre 15 In 1938, Otto Frank started a second company, Pectacon B.V. which sold herbs for seasoning meat. His partner was Hermann van Pels, a German Jew, who had fled to the Netherlands with his wife and son Peter the year before. On December 1, 1940 Anne's father Otto Frank moved the offices of the spice and gelling companies he worked for, Opekta and Pectacon, to Prinsengracht 263. This building would later become the hiding place which Anne referred to as The Secret Annex. By now, the Netherlands had been occupied by the Nazis for almost six months. Mr. Frank knew that Jews had been forced to give up their businesses in Germany and foresaw the same measures to be taken in Amsterdam. He transferred ownership of the business to Victor Kugler and Johannes Kleiman in The new name of the company was Trading Company Gies & Co. On July 16, 1941 Miep Santrouschitz married Jan Gies. Anne and her father attended the wedding.

16 Prime Stage Theatre 16 Hitler s presence in the Netherlands began to be felt more and more. Increasing measures were taken against the Jews each day. Anne and Margot were forced to leave their Montessori school. They were required to attend the Jewish Lyceum School with only Jewish students and Jewish teachers. Life for Anne and her family began to change and Otto Frank feared for his family s safety. Many other groups were targets for discrimination along with those of Jewish ancestry. Other groups targeted by the Nazis were: Gypsies The handicapped The mentally ill African-Germans Homosexuals Jehovah s Witnesses Political dissidents Anyone who did not support the Nazi regime

17 Prime Stage Theatre 17 LAWS AGAINST THE JEWS Jews must wear a yellow star. Jews must hand in their bicycles. Jews cannot use public transportation such as trams. Jews cannot ride in a car. Jews may only shop in Jewish stores between the hours of 3 and 5 o clock. Jews may only use Jewish barbers. Jews must be indoors from 8 o clock in the evening until 6 o clock in the morning. Jews are forced to give up their businesses. These are just a few of the laws all Jews were required to follow. There were many more ways in which the Nazi regime imposed harsh restrictions on Jewish life. LESSON SUGGESTION: Have students discuss what it would be like if restrictions were placed on them such as not being able to ride in a car, or not being able to leave the house during certain hours of the day. What other restrictions would compare to those placed against the Jews in this day and age. Perhaps computers and televisions would be outlawed. How would life change for them and how would they cope? On June 12, 1942, Anne received a diary for her thirteenth birthday. On June 20, 1942, Anne wrote the following: It s an odd idea for someone like me to keep a diary; not only because it seems to me that neither I nor for that matter anyone else will be interested in the unbosomings of a thirteen-yearold school-girl.

18 Prime Stage Theatre 18 On Monday, June 29, 1942, every Dutch newspaper ran an announcement that the German occupiers had decided to deport all Jews to labor camps in Germany. On Sunday, July 5, a thousand Dutch Jews received a card commanding them to report to a given address where they would be taken to a labor camp at Westerbork. Margot Frank was on this list. The entire family would be arrested if Margot did not report as required by the call-up notice. On July 6, 1942 in the early hours of the morning, the Frank family left their home and moved into the Secret Annex.

19 Prime Stage Theatre 19 Otto knew that he could trust Miep to help them while they were in hiding. The only people who knew about the hiding place were Miep Gies, Victor Kugler, Johannes Kleiman, Bep Voskuijl and Bep s father. Together this group of people who worked for Mr. Frank s company made sure that those hiding in the Secret Annex were provided with all of the necessities of daily living such as food and friendship. Pictured left to right are: Miep Gies, Johannes Kleiman, Otto Frank, Victor Kugler and Bep Voskuijl. A movable bookcase, built by Mr. Voskuijl, hid the door to the Secret Annex.

20 Prime Stage Theatre 20 Mr. Frank s business partner Hermann van Pels, his wife and their son Peter moved into the Secret Annex on July 13, ] A week later Fritz Pfeffer, a dentist who was friends with the Frank family joined them. The main room of the Secret Annex. Anne originally shared a room with her sister, Margot. When Fritz Pfeffer moved in Margot moved into a room with Mr. and Mrs. Frank and Anne shared this room with Mr. Pfeffer.

21 Prime Stage Theatre 21 The 8 inhabitants of the Secret Annex lived in hiding for over 2 years. Since there were workers in the building who could not know about those in hiding, everyone in the Secret Annex had to remain quiet and still during business hours. From the hours of 9 o clock in the morning until 7 o clock in the evening the inhabitants were not allowed to run water, flush the toilet or talk above a whisper. Meip and Bep along with Mr. Kugler and Mr. Kleiman would often visit at lunchtime when the warehouse workers had left the building. Those in hiding cherished this time as it was some of the only contact they had with the outside world. THE WESTERTOREN As seen from the window in the attic. During their time in hiding Anne, Margot and Peter kept up with their studies. Mr. Frank became their teacher. They studied many subjects such as Algebra, Geometry, History, Geography and languages. Bep sent away for a shorthand course in her name and Anne and Margot soon became experts. Miep brought books and magazines for everyone to read but time passed slowly and the close quarters soon became taxing on everyone. One connection to the outside world came through listening to the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) on the radio. In the evenings, after all of the workers had left the building, the inhabitants of the Secret Annex would go downstairs to the offices and gather around the radio hoping to hear news of the end of the war and the liberation of the Netherlands. On Wednesday, March 29, 1944, while listening to the radio, Anne heard the Dutch minister relay the message that after the war diaries and letters would be collected to chronicle the events of wartime. Anne had always dreamt of being a famous writer. At this time she had already filled-up the diary she received for her birthday and had been keeping her diary in accounting and exercise books that Miep and Bep gave her. Anne began a second diary on loose sheets of paper, revising her original entries and changing the names of the inhabitants of the Secret Annex to protect their anonymity should her diary ever be published. REAL NAME Mr. Kleiman Mr. Kugler Bep Voskuijl Mr. Voskuijl Miep Gies Jan Gies van Pels Family Fritz Pfeffer REVISED NAME Mr. Koophuis Mr. Kraler Elli Vossen Mr. Vossen Miep van Santen Henk van Santen van Daan Family Albert Dussel

22 Prime Stage Theatre 22 On July 15, 1944, at the age of 15, Anne wrote the following in her diary. On June 6, 1944, the inhabitants of the Secret Annex heard on the radio of the Allied invasion on the coasts of Normandy in France. This news brought hope for the end of the war. Otto Frank began keeping track of the advances of the Allies into the interior of Europe with push-pins on a map in the Annex. It s twice as hard for us young ones to hold our ground, and maintain our opinions, in a time when all ideals are being shattered and destroyed, when people are showing their worst side, and do not know whether to believe in truth and right and in God That s the difficulty in these times, ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to meet the horrible truth and be shattered. It s really a wonder that I haven t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. On Tuesday, August 1, 1944 Anne unknowingly wrote her last entry in her diary. On Friday, August 4, 1944, between 10:00 AM and 10:30 AM, the German Police entered the Secret Annex. The eight inhabitants along with Victor Kugler and Johannes Kleiman were arrested and taken to a German police station. Miep and Bep were spared. After they were taken away, Miep went upstairs and found Anne s diary on the floor. She locked it up in her desk so that she could return it to Anne after the war. On August 8, 1944 the eight inhabitants of the Secret Annex were transferred from the local German police station to the Westerbork Camp. On September 3, 1944, the eight prisoners were transferred to the Auschwitz death camp on the last train to leave Westerbork for the death camp. They arrived on September 5, The men and women were separated. The women had to walk to the women s camp at Birkenau. All children under 15 were immediately taken to the gas chambers. Anne had just turned 15 two months ago.

23 Prime Stage Theatre 23 Hermann van Pels was murdered in the gas chambers a couple of weeks after they arrived at the Auschwitz- Birkenau death camp. Fritz Pfeffer was transferred to the Neuengamme concentration camp. He died there on December 20, Peter van Pels was transferred to the Mauthausen concentration camp on January 16, 1945, 10 days before the Russian army liberated Auschwitz. Peter died in Mauthausen on May 5, Hermine van Pels was transferred along with Anne and Margot to the Bergen-Belsen camp. She was then transferred to Buchenwald and Theresienstadt camps. She died in Theresiendstadt in the spring of Edith Frank was not transferred to Bergen-Belsen along with Anne, Margot and Mrs. van Pels. She remained in Auschwitz. She died there on January 6, Margot Frank stayed with her sister, Anne, in the Bergen-Belsen camp. They survived there together until the spring of Margot died a few days before Anne in March of Anne Frank remained alongside her sister, Margot in the Bergen- Belsen camp. She died a few days after Margot in April of The camp was liberated a few weeks later. Anne was 15 years old. If Anne were alive today, she would be 77 years old. Otto Frank survived the horrors of the Auschwitz camp. The camp was liberated on January 27, Otto returned to Amsterdam on June 3, Miep gave Anne s diary to Otto. In the summer of 1947, Anne s diary was published in an edition of 1,500 copies. The diary soon became world famous and Anne s dream to become a famous writer came true.

24 Prime Stage Theatre 24 FLARES OF MEMORY The following stories are taken from the book Flares of Memory: Stories of Childhood During the Holocaust. This book chronicles personal accounts of Holocaust Survivors who eventually emigrated to the Pittsburgh area. These stories, and many others in the book of local Pittsburghers effected by the Holocaust, can be used to help students develop a personal connection to the subject matter. The Holocaust Center of the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh provides audio testimonials of some of these survivors on their website. LESSON SUGGESTION Distribute these stories of local Survivors to students. Gather in a circle and read these stories out loud to each other. Research each individual and create a diary or play based on the events of their life. Have students share with the class what information they ve gathered about these local Holocaust Survivors.

25 Prime Stage Theatre 25 CYNA GLATSTEIN was born on March 16, 1928, in Sochachev, Poland, the daughter of Rabbi Yehuda Leib Wolman and Hanna Ehrenkrantz Wolman. During the Holocaust she was in Sochachev Ghetto and Warsaw Ghetto, and later hid, by using false papers and passing as a Christian, in several villages and towns in Poland and Germany. She is married to Rabbi Mordecai Glatstein; they have three children and five grandchildren. She has continued to study Hebrew and secular subjects throughout her life. Mrs. Glatstein had three sisters and two brothers; only one sister, Rachel Wolman Jacobowitz, survived the Holocaust. The rest of her immediate and extended family, BETRAYAL The town of Sochachev lay forty kilometers from Warsaw. According to the census, the population was forty thousand. Twenty-five percent were Jews. The remainder were Catholics. Although the cultures, religions and languages were different, we were able to live amicably side by side. Sochachev was quite a modern town with two train stations, one local and one express. There were Hebrew as well as rabbinic schools, parks, a hospital, a library, and two synagogues, one ancient. My father was the rabbi of Sochachev. He was the spiritual leader beloved by all. Our Home was open to everyone. Jew did not go to secular courts of law in Europe, they went to the rabbi. So people came to our home with questions about what was kosher dietary observances about emotional problems, economic problems and for Din Torahs. In Din Torahs, the Torah was used as a source to settle all types of problems. My father listened carefully, patiently, and with an open analytical mind to what was being claimed by the litigants, after which he consulted the Code of Talmudic Law. Opposite us lived Mr. Tarnovsky, a well known and successful advocate. As a lawyer he was very interested in my father s legal work. He sometimes attended trials and stayed later to discuss the outcome. He admired the logic and humaneness of the Torah teachings. My father considered him a friend. When the Germans occupied Poland in 1939, everything changed. One afternoon Advocate Tarnovsky and an SS officer called on my father. They came bearing a large bowl with a liver in it. The bowl was placed on the table with malice, so that the blo0d spattered over the white tablecloth an act designed purposely to humiliate my father. Is the pig s liver kosher or treif? asked the advocate. Mr. Tarnovsky, you know very well that according to Jewish law, I cannot judge a non-kosher animal. You must. I cannot. You must. If you don t, you will soon hear from us. They stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind them. My father was shaken. He knew that he had to leave immediately. Before leaving, he impressed my mother with the necessity of all of us going into hiding. My father left for Blonie where we had many friends. Because I was close to my father and I was daring even at the age of eleven, I accompanied him.

26 Prime Stage Theatre 26 DORA ZUER IWLER (with photograph of her grandmother) was born on July 1, 1923, in Chodorow, Poland, the daughter of Juda and Sima Austein Zuer. During the Holocaust she was alternately in hiding and imprisoned in Jonowski camp; toward the end of the war she was sent on a forced march, escaped and again went into hiding. She had two brothers, Moshe Lazer and Titzchak, and one sister, Miriam; none of her family survived the Holocaust. Mrs. Iwler and her husband, Israel, have two children and three grandchildren. She wrote the following story. PARTING My parents, Yehuda and Sima, worked very hard in our small fruit store and our home in Chodorow, near Lvov, Poland. My brother, Moshe Lazer, and I worked in the store after school also. Father supplemented his meager income by collecting scrap metal with a friend. Once a week he went to Lvov to restock the store, while Mother took care of the customers. Thursdays, market days in our town, were when my mother bought all the food to prepare for Shabbat. I stayed home to care for my younger brother Yitzhak and sister Miriam. We all looked forward to the treats Mother brought back from the market for us. Fridays were spent cooking and baking bread. We made our own butter, and we each had a glass of milk on the window sill which eventually separated into layers of milk, yogurt, and cream. I still remember the delicious tastes and smells. On Shabbat, the six of us walked to the synagogue together. My father looked a tall of us with such pride in his eyes. Mother was a quiet, religious woman who had come from a family of eleven children. She had long brown hair which she wore in a braid wrapped in a bun and pinned to the back of her head. She dressed modestly, but she always looked beautiful to me. Her four children gave her very little free time. My brother Moshe Lazer was handsome; the girls loved his black hair and tall build. Since he was only eighteen months older than me, we had lots of mutual friends. He was known to get in trouble pretty often and sometimes I got caught with him. Once, when we were quite young, we went to the circus without telling our parents. They were worried sick about us because we were gone so long. We got a good whipping with Father s belt when we got back, which I suppose we deserved. My sister, Miriam, was three years younger than me. She was a beautiful brunette and quite shy and reserved, unlike me. She loved to stay home with Mother and our brother Yitzhak, who was six years younger than I. Miriam and Yitzhak went to school together every day and then to Cheder. I still picture Yitzhak going down the street spinning a wheel with a stick or playing dominoes at the table with Miriam. This beautiful, simple life came to an end in 1942 when the Nazis declared that Chodorow would be made free of Jews. My mother, 43 years old, was taken away in a cattle car in the first action. That same day, my 15 year-old sister Miriam was shot by the Nazis. My 12 year-old brother Yitzhak was taken away in the second action. Somehow, they didn t find my father and older brother who were hiding in a bunker which my father had made under our house. I was working in the garden of a Ukrainian family outside of town and didn t know until I returned home about these actions. It was a horrible shock when my father, brother and I found Miriam. We buried her and placed a glass bottle with her name inside over her grave, hoping that someday someone would find this inappropriate marker and replace it with a more suitable one. None of us ever returned to that place. It was now my turn to go to the rail station and be loaded into a box car. A Nazi who was a friend of the Ukrainian family I worked for recognized me and pulled me out of the crowd. I was saved for another day. That night, I slept in a stable, full of fear. The parting with my father and older brother remains one of the most painful moments of my life. Father had been ordered to go to Strij, a small town nearby. My brother joined the partisans. I wanted to go with him but he wouldn t take me. We said our final farewell. My father s face was ashen. He said, Before I die, I would like to see the blue and white Jewish flag. This wish of my father motivated me to work for the State of Israel, hoping to make my father s dream come true in a small way. I never saw my family again.

27 Prime Stage Theatre 27 FRITZ OTTENHEIMER was born on March 18, 1925, in Constance, Germany, the son of Ludwig and Klara Metzger Ottenheimer. He emigrated to the United States in 1939 with his parents and sister, Ilse, and served in the U.S. Army in Germany as a liberator in 1945 and After the war he worked with the U.S. military in the de-nazification process in Germany. He attended college in the United States and worked as an engineer. He and his wife, Goldie, have tow children and four grandchildren. He wrote the following story, Herr B. which was extracted from his memoir, Escape and Return (Pittsburgh, PA: Cathedral Publishing, 1999), which has also been translated and published in Germany. HERR B. It was Herr B., our friendly neighbor, showed up with a Nazi party insignia on his lapel. My father was shocked. Herr B., would you mind telling me why you joined the party? Not at all. We have a new leader now, and we have to show him that we ll support him. Besides, he added, I picked up a few new jobs since I joined. What do you think about what the Party is doing to the Jewish people? my father probed. Ah, yes it s too bad, Herr B. sighed. It s too bad that the good have to suffer along with the bad! Which ones are we? my father inquired. Are we the good Jews or the bad Jews? Herr B. laughed. What a question! You know you are good people. You are our friends! My father persisted. You know most of the Jews of Constance. Which ones are the bad Jews that we have to suffer along with? Herr B. thought for a few seconds. He admitted that all of the Jews of our town seemed to be decent, honest people. Then where are these bad Jews you are talking about? Herr B. was angry now. You know damned well where they are, he shouted. All you have to do is pick up a newspaper or turn on your radio! He turned away, then looked back. Where there s smoke, there s fire!