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Alicia: My Story Lesson Plan for Chapter 10

“In Chortkov Prison” TITLE: Keeping the Faith: Keeping Kosher on Nazi Ghetto Rations RATIONALE: In order to gain a deeper, more holistic understanding of the events and effects of the Holocaust, students must be able to delve appropriately and respectfully into the lives of the victims. An often-neglected element of Holocaust studies is the daily routines and lives of those Jewish and political prisoners who were relegated to living within the walls of ghettos in major cities throughout Europe. By applying the seemingly innocuous and mundane task of cooking food as a context for their study of the Holocaust, students will be able to apply a real-world lens to their view of the victims’ lives. In analyzing the Jewish dietary restrictions of kashrut and juxtaposing them with the availability of food and living conditions in the ghettos, students will gain a deeper understanding of the social, religious and cultural difficulties the victims underwent. If executed with the utmost respect for the victims and with a deep level of engagement from the students, this lesson can serve to bridge the gap for students who may find the Holocaust hard to understand emotionally. OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to: • Identify many of the hardships incurred by those who lived in ghettos and concentration camps

during the Holocaust. • Students will be able to understand the basics of Jewish dietary laws/restrictions and the impact

they had on adapting to life in ghettos and concentration camps during the Holocaust. • Students will analyze informal recipes and accompanying stories by survivors of the

Holocaust’s ghettos. • Students will utilize their knowledge of life in the ghettos of the Holocaust to produce a short

informative writing and recipe. NEXT GENERATION SUNSHINE STATE STANDARD(S): SS.912.W.7.8 Explain the causes, events and effects of the Holocaust (1933- 1945) including its roots in the long tradition of anti-Semitism, 19th century ideas about race and nation and Nazi dehumanization of the Jews and other victims.

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COMMON CORE STATE STANDARD(S): RH.11-12.17/RST.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words. RH.11-12.19/RST.11-12.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take. RST.11-12.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES: • Computer connected to a projector/ external display. • Various recipes from “In Memory’s Kitchen” or “Recipes Remembered” (or similar Holocaust-

based cookbook), printed. • Various brief written testimonies of survivors of the ghettos, printed. • Various images, printed out, pertaining to ghetto cooking. • Modern equivalents of Nazi-provided ghetto rations (quantities listed in Introduction below) • “What is Kosher?” video from getkosher.com or similar brief video explanation of kosher. • “Keeping the Faith: Keeping Kosher in the Holocaust Ghettos” video from IWitness. • “Keeping the Faith: Kosher Laws and Menu” handout. PREPARATIONS: • Before class begins, arrange the desks/tables of the room in such a manner as to facilitate small

group/pairs work as well as the viewing of an audio-visual presentation. • Set up a small table in the center of the room, so that all desk pairs/triads are arranged around it.

Place the aforementioned foodstuffs and their labels on the table. • Before class begins, project the image, “Keeping the Faith: Display Image” on the screen/board. • Make copies of “Keeping the Faith: Kosher Laws and Menu” handouts. • Make copies of included (or alternative, teacher-chosen) recipes/ testimonies. • Queue videos, “What Is Kosher?” and “Keeping the Faith: Keeping Kosher in the Holocaust

Ghettos” to play from the beginning when needed. LESSON: Introduction (10 minutes) • As the students enter the classroom, have on display in the center of the room the modern

equivalents of sample Nazi-provided ghetto rations and at the front, display the image, “Keeping the Faith: Display Image” ∗ Example of Nazi-provided rations…

♦ 14 oz of bread ♦ 4.5 oz of meat products ♦ 1.75 oz of sugar ♦ 0.9 oz of fat

∗ Be sure to label the foods themselves and their weight, but do not include the information about their being rations

• Have the students take 5 minutes to make silent observations about the picture and

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foodstuffs. Encourage them to move up to the foods and picture, but remain reflective, not social.

• Lead the class in a whole-group discussion about their observations of the foodstuffs and displayed image. ∗ Allow students to make their observations aloud without confirming or denying their

accuracy, or promoting certain observations over others. • Share with the students a brief overview of the image’s context and background. • Introduce the foodstuffs on the table in the center of the room and their weights. Lead the

students in a brief guided reflection on their relevance as an entire week’s worth of food for an adult, let alone a growing teenager such as themselves.

• On the board (or previously-designated area), display the Lesson Essential Question… ∗ “How did members of the Jewish communities in the ghettos of the Holocaust manage

to maintain their religious dietary restrictions when faced with rationing and starvation?”

• Briefly introduce the Lesson Essential Question and contextualize the introduction activity by revealing to the students that the foodstuffs they had been observing and discussing are examples of what those with ration cards in the ghettos of Nazi Germany would have received.

• Turn the attention of the students to page 78 of their “Alicia: My Story” text and have them read to discover the answer to the prompt... ∗ “When faced with too little food, how did Alicia and her friends find new sources?

How did this seem to conflict with their religious beliefs?” Procedures (30-35 minutes) • After the students have read on their own, prompt them to discuss in their pairs/triads

their findings from Chapter 10 of “Alicia: My Story” in the context of the new information they’ve learned in the introduction ∗ Sample discussion questions include…

♦ “How might life be more difficult if this was the amount of food a person was given each week?

• As student pairs/triads are engaged in discussion of the previous prompts, move about the room, monitoring conversations and offering assistance as needed. While doing so, distribute the “Keeping the Faith: Kosher Laws and Menu” handout.

• Drawing the students’ attention back to the teacher and front of the room, have one member of each pair/triad share some of their group’s salient points. ∗ TIP: Keeping track of which member speaks at this point will allow the teacher to call

upon the other members to share at later points in the lesson • Prompt the students to consider their prior knowledge of life in the ghettos, drawing the

conversation towards a discussion of the black markets and smuggling that occurred ∗ The teacher could ask the students, “How could these rations be supplemented by the

black market? By smuggling? What dishes could be made then?” ∗ After students offer their suggestions, choose one (if offered, if not, offer one up) that

violates kashrut and ask the students, “What if you weren’t allowed to eat _____ because of your religious beliefs?”

• Briefly introduce the concept of mitzvahs, the commandments of Judaism found in the

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Torah and kashrut the mitzvah pertaining to dietary restrictions. • Introduce and then play the video, “What Is Kosher?” on the screen. • After the video plays, draw the students’ attention to the handout and menu. • Engage the students in a brief discussion of their reactions to these beliefs and the impact

they may have had on their previous assertions about ghetto grocery procurement and cooking. ∗ TIP: While encouraging your students to share their honest opinions, this discussion

can also provide a “teaching opportunity” for cultural understanding and sensitivity. • Introduce and then play the video, “Keeping the Faith: Keeping Kosher in the Holocaust

Ghettos” on the screen. • While the video plays, hand out to each pair/triad a set (2 or 3) of copies of a paired

written survivor testimony, modern recipe and ghetto recipe. ∗ The dishes and their testimonies included in this lesson are…

♦ “Goulash” ♦ “Chocolate Cake” ♦ “Matzo Dumplings” ♦ “Fruity Dumplings” ♦ “Macaroons”

• At the end of the video, instruct the students to look at their packets. Each student should have their own copy of the testimony and two recipes given to their group. ∗ Have the students read the testimonies silently to themselves.

• In their pairs/triads, have the students consider questions along the lines of the following… ∗ “What are some of the ways in which the residents maintained their dietary customs?” ∗ “What are some of the compromises the residents made to their dietary customs?” ∗ “What motivations do you think existed for those who chose to keep kosher, despite

the overwhelming adversity such a decision posed?” • Next, have the students turn to the modern and ghetto recipes. The modern recipe in each

packet was written by or in memory of the survivor discussed in the testimony. Both of the recipes, while not the exact same food item, are very similar to one another. ∗ In their pairs/triads, have the students consider questions along the lines of the

following… ♦ “What is similar between the two recipes?” ♦ “What is different between the two recipes?” ♦ “How do you think the conditions of life in the ghetto impacted the recipe written

at the time of the Holocaust?” ♦ “If the same person had written both of the recipes, what do you think accounts

for the changes over time?” Closure (5-10 minutes) • As the students discuss the previous questions, move about the room, monitoring their

conversations and providing redirect or verbal praise as necessary. Meanwhile, disseminate the paper entitled “Keeping the Faith: Writing About It!”.

• When the allotted time is over for pair/triad conversations, have a volunteer from each pair/triad share a quick summary of what their group said.

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∗ TIP: Classroom management experts agree that in low-pressure situations such as “Do Nows” or group discussions, displaying a timer prominently in the room helps to focus students on the task at hand and reduce the occurrence of unwanted behaviors.

• Briefly explain the instructions for the assignment and expound upon the expectations for completing it successfully. ∗ The activity has students compile and analyze the notes that they have collected to

brainstorm for a writing assignment. ∗ The teacher should prompt students to utilize the “Keeping the Faith: Kosher Laws

and Menu” handout that was distributed earlier as a resource. • As a “Ticket Out the Door,” hand each student a Post-It note with a word from the lesson

glossary written somewhere upon it. Each student should receive their own word, but for large classes, some overlap is acceptable.

• Have the students use their handouts and unit notes or textbook to briefly define the term. • As the students exit the room, have them place their Post-It note on the door, in the

designated “Ticket Out the Door Parking Lot.” Extensions/ Modifications for Differentiated Instruction Possible Extension #1 At many schools, a prevailing trend is the creation of profession-specific academies for the training of students for future careers. Where they exist, culinary academies of this type can be very helpful in giving students a better understanding of the difficulties inherent in the cooking process they have read about in this lesson. In conjunction with the culinary department, a logical extension for this lesson is to have the class actually engage in the baking/cooking of the recipes they produce during the writing activity. Supplying them at first with nothing more than the rations that they would have been given had they been living in the ghetto, have the students work in pairs or small groups to try to recreate the provided recipes as they would have had to have been modified in the ghettos. The appendix to this lesson offers five recipes written by Holocaust survivors and their accompanying stories. The recipes include… • “Regina Finer’s Kluskies-Classic Potato Dumplings” • “Martha’s Excellent Matzoh Ball Soup” • “Nadzia Goldstein Bergson’s Home Baked Challah” • “Helen Wallerstein’s Potato Latkes” • “Ida Frankfurter’s Potato Kugel”

Possible Extension #2 With the ever-increasing focus on cross-curricular studies coupled with the onset and spread of Common Core State Standards, opportunities for courses to converge are often coveted for their ability to deepen and strengthen students’ content knowledge in multiple content areas at the same time. In conjunction with a school’s science and/or health department(s), this lesson can be extended and modified to incorporate the closer examination of the physiological effects of the starvation and protein deficiencies faced by those in the ghettos and camps of the Holocaust. A sample lesson pertaining to these parameters can be found at: http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/35plan/starvati.htm. Possible Extension #3 Recognizing the importance of the integration of local and state history into nationalized

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curricula, teachers may choose to add an element to the lesson that integrates a study of WWII on the home front. By analyzing the nutritional and Japanese internment camps and German prisoner-of-war camps established throughout the country, students can be called upon to research the living conditions—particularly as they pertain to food and nutrition—in the camps near their school and compare them to the knowledge they have gained of life in the European ghettos. Florida schools are in luck, as the U.S. military operated several POW camps throughout the state. Listed below are several books and articles a teacher can employ to begin a WebQuest or similar research project on the topic. • Men in German Uniform: POWs in America during World War II by Antonio Thompson. • “German POWs kept in Central Florida during WWII” by Jacob Flynn. Available at

http://www.westorangetimes.com/articles/2011/01/26/news/top_stories/news04.txt • Hitler’s Soldiers in the Sunshine State: German POWs in Florida by Robert D. Billinger,

Jr. • “German POWs Lived and Died in Florida Camps” by Jim Robinson. Available at:

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2004-05-09/news/0405080092_1_sawmill-osceola-county-german-pows

Possible Modifications • For visually impaired provide students with printed copies of the beginning photograph,

“Keeping the Faith: Display Image”, labels for the foodstuffs, transcripts of the video clips or audio recordings of any of the aforementioned items.

• For the writing activity, provide students with sentence starters or a predetermined recipe (or both) to help them begin their thoughts.

• For the writing activity, provide students with a Word Bank/Glossary of key terms from the lesson.

• Provide ELL students with a native-language version of worksheets and documents (if available) or allow use of an English-to-native language dictionary

• Pair students with lower English skills with students who speak their native language for group work (if possible)

• Provide ELL students with a graphic organizer (Two-Column Notes-Taking Sheet, etc.) for collecting and organizing information

• During explanations, maintain eye contact and speak slowly while delivering instructions. Repeat instructions in same slow speech at least once.

• During large- and small-group discussions, provide ELLs with a written copy of guided questions and repeat them in a slow, clear voice.

• Display all critical-thinking questions on the board when asking and repeat all questions in a slow, clear voice.

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GLOSSARY: Ghetto: During the time of the Holocaust, these were walled-off sections of cities in which large numbers of Jewish people were forced to live separate from the rest of German society. Rations: A set amount of items—usually food or clothing—that is officially allowed to each person during a time of shortage, especially wartime. Mitzvah: A commandment issued to Jewish people in the Torah, their holy book. Kashrut: A word used to refer to the observance of Jewish dietary laws. Kosher: A word that literally means “fit” or “proper.” It is used to describe foods allowed under Torah Law or the ways in which permissible foods are to be prepared. Trayf: The opposite of “kosher,” this is a word that refers to those foods that are forbidden under Torah Law or improper ways to prepare foods. Pareve: Foods that are not meat or dairy, or are made from either one. Nosh: a snack. Schmeer: The whole business. To coat like butter. Shoichet: In the Jewish religion, a ritual butcher who employs the proper practices to produce kosher meats. Shtikel: A tiny morsel Berches: A type of challah bread Blintz: A thin, rolled pancake similar to a crepe Kluskies: Jewish-style potato dumplings Knodels: Jewish-style dumplings Kuchen: Cake Kugel: Pudding Latke: Potato pancake

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WORKS CITED & REFERENCES:

Alverman, D., Phelps, S. E., & Ridgeway, V. G. (2007). Content area reading and literacy. Boston: Pearson. Appleman-Jurman, A. (1990). Alicia: my story. New York: Bantam Books. Bergin, Doris L. (2009). War & Genocide: A concise history of the Holocaust. 2nd ed. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Calkins, L., Ehrenworth, M., & Lehman, C. (2012). Pathways to the Common Core: accelerating achievement. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. De Silva, C. (Ed.). (2006). In memory’s kitchen: a legacy from the women of Terezin. (B. Steiner Brown, Trans). New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Ellis, E. G. & Esler, A. (2013). World History. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Getkosher.com. (2013). What is kosher? Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifKFC4jYqS8 Hersh, J. F. (2011). Recipes remembered: a celebration of survival. New York: Ruder Finn Press. Jaegar, H. (n.d.). Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images. Retrieved 26 March 2014 from http://www.israpundit.com/archives/53953 Garcia, M. J. (2009, September 16). “German POWs on the American homefront”. Retrieved March 26, 2014 from http://www.westorangetimes.com/articles/2011/01/26/news/top_stories/news04.txt Spielvogel, J. J. (2012). Western civilization: Since 1300. AP edition. 8th Ed. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Yad Vashem. (2014). “New arrivals to Warsaw celebrate the Passover Seder in a shelter on 6 Leszno St.” Yad Vashem Photo Archives FA 33/1860. Retrieved 25 March 2014 from http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/warsawghetto/organization_gallery.asp

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Keeping the Faith: Write About It! Below, take some time to collect your thoughts and notes about the food shortages and black market in the Holocaust ghettos we’ve discussed. Then, on a separate sheet of paper create a recipe of your own, based one the foods that would have been realistically available at the time. Include a reflection on how the meal would have to be prepared and how the materials would have to have been collected. Be sure to write a MINIMUM of two pages. As you plan, ask yourself...

What were the rations given to those in the ghettos like? What tools would have been available to cook with? What ingredients would be lacking that one might normally cook with? Where could one find extra things that they need? How could the meal be kept kosher?

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Keeping the Faith: Kosher Laws and Menu Kashrut means “fitness”. Food that has been prepared according to the laws of kashrut is kosher—“fit”—for consumption by an observant Jew. Many “Reform” Jews do not keep kosher; “Orthodox” Jews eat only kosher food; “Conservative” Jews usually follow the laws of kashrut but less strictly than their “Orthodox” counterparts.

Kosher (Permitted) Trayf (Forbidden)

Animals that chew their cud, have cloven hooves, are not diseased or flawed, and have been ritually slaughtered (e.g., cattle, sheep, goats, deer)

Pork (ham, pork bacon, pork sausage, pepperoni), camel, rabbit, rodents, reptiles, any animal that died of natural causes or was killed by another animal

Domesticated fowl: chicken, turkey, quail, geese, ducks

Birds of prey and scavengers (eagle, hawk, vulture)

Sea animals with fins and scales, such as salmon, tuna, carp, herring, cod

Sea animals lacking either fins or scales (all shellfish: crab, lobster, shrimp, clam, octopus, swordfish, sturgeon)

Meat or dairy, as long as they are eaten several hours apart

Meat eaten with dairy (e.g., a cheeseburger, tuna with a glass of milk)

Wine or grape juice made in a kosher facility (under rabbinic supervision)

Any other wine or grape juice

Soft cheese and kosher hard cheese Most hard cheese

All fruits, vegetables, and grains are permitted except grape products (see above)

Insects

Food Preparation and Eating - Pots, pans, dishes and utensils carry the status of the food last heated in them. Kosher homes

have at least two sets of cookware, dishes, and utensils, one set for preparing and eating meat and the other for dairy.

- Keeping kosher away from home requires making sure of ingredients as well as kosher preparation.

- Foods sold in grocery stores are marked with specific symbols if they have been certified kosher by a rabbi or the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations. Most common of these are a “K” inside a circle (but not a “K” by itself), a “P” inside a circle (meaning fit for Passover), and pareve (PAR-uh-vah), meaning “neutral”. Pareve foods can be eaten with either meat or milk products.

Adapted from: http://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/youth/bridges/workshop6/workshopplan/handouts/183678.shtml

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“Suggested Menus for the Sabbath and Holidays.” Beth-El Cookbook. (Indianapolis: Beth-El Sisterhood of the Beth-El Zedeck Congregation, 1949), 95.

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Keeping the Faith: Display Image

Photograph by Hugo Jaeger, personal photographer of Adolf Hitler