KEY POINT: The connection of Judy's story to the Bakers' establishes
several key themes in the film: the importance of individual rights in
democratic societies; the principles of tolerance, respect, and responsibility
as essential components of democracies; and the responsibility each of
us has to object to behavior that violates democratic principles. The
Baker incident and Judy's own story as a Holocaust survivor illustrate
how extreme situations bring out character traits in individuals that
either uphold or violate democratic values.
VIEWING OBJECTIVES
- To understand the universal themes of tolerance, respect,
and responsibility that motivated Judy to act on behalf of the Bakers
and to tell her story. To understand the connection between Judy's
values as an American citizen and her past as a Jew in Europe during
the Holocaust.
- To understand how political and legal systems shape individual choices.
- To increase students' knowledge of the geography of Europe during
World War II.
- To inform students about the ghetto experience imposed on
Jews during World War II.
- To expand students' understanding of Jewish European experience before
and during the Holocaust.
“My
family life was deeply rooted in Judaism.”
Lighting
of Shabes candles marks the formal beginning of the Jewish Sabbath
on Friday evening, usually prior to a Sabbath meal. They are lit
in honor of the Sabbath but also as a symbol of the holiness of the
day of rest.
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DEMOCRACY
A
type of government run directly by the people or by their elected representatives.
Democratic societies usually have periodic elections
in which all adult citizens are encouraged to vote for representatives
from competing political parties. Democratic societies protect the rights
of minorities and guarantee equal rights and opportunities for all
citizens.
TOLERANCE
An
active acceptance of and appreciation for a wide range of personal, social,
cultural, and religious practices, particularly when such
practices differ from one's own. Tolerance is an attitude that perceives
diversity as a positive social good and is expressed in behaviors that
protect the rights of all people.
YIDDISH
A European
Jewish language written in Hebrew characters. The language began to develop
about 1100 years ago in the area where France and Germany meet and contains
vocabulary from those two languages and the Slavic languages that Jews
encountered. Yiddish uses many Hebrew words, especially those dealing
with Jewish daily life and legal issues. Yiddish was a common language
among Jews in all European lands and, once Jews had immigrated to America,
in this country, too. The Holocaust destroyed most European speakers
of Yiddish, along with their established customs and culture.
EINSATZGRUPPEN
Killing
squads comprised primarily of SS officers that flanked the German army
as it invaded Eastern Europe. First organized in 1939, the Einsatzgruppen
were used in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. The SS membership
of the squad was supplemented by volunteers from
Eastern Europe and by Germany's police and army units. It is estimated
that the Einsatzgruppen killed between 1.5 and 2 million Eastern European
Jews.
SLABODKA
"Slabode" is
a Slavic term for "foreigner." In
medieval towns, people from other places-such as traders from Italy or
Germany and Jews-lived in areas called "Slabodka. " In some
cases the Jewish section was closed at night and locked by city officials. "Slabodka" is
the Yiddish term for the section of Kovno otherwise known as Vilijampole.
Slabodka had been home to Jews for hundreds of years and was the seat
of several important religious schools.
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