Surviving Hitler: A Boy in the Nazi Death Camps Answer Key
Acknowledgements 1. Who is this story about? Jack Mandelbaum
Introduction 2. How did Andrea Warren first learn the truth about the Holocaust? (1) Andrea Warren met a survivor named Sam.
3. Warren used a provoking question to end the introduction. She leaves the reader with something to ponder. What was her question? What did she mean by this? (3) “Who might be the next target of the kind of ‘ethnic cleansing’ practiced by the Nazis? Could it be you?” Andrea Warren meant are we going to make sure that the Holocaust never happens again or are we going to be bystanders?
Chapter 1: Rumors of War, 1939 4. How was Jack’s life similar to yours? Jack lived with his mother, father, sister and brother; he had a stamp collection; he went to the beach; he went to school; etc.
5. Jack’s hometown of Gdynia, population 250,000, had a small Jewish population. How did this affect Jack? (16) Jack was highly assimilated. He knew a lot about Catholicism.
6. What did Jack’s father do that made Jack proud of him? (19) Jack’s father helped Jews escape from Germany.
7. What happened to Jack’s Hebrew teacher? (18-19) Jack’s teacher disappeared.
8. Since Jewish schools were abolished, how did Jack spend his time? (19) Jack spent his time at the docks watching the Polish Navy train.
9. Jack’s father had to make an important decision regarding his family. What was it? (19) Jack’s father decided to send his family to stay with his father who lived in small town three hundred miles away.
Chapter 2: Occupation 10. After reading about the separation of Jack’s family, what can you predict? (20) 11. Soon after Jack moved to his grandfather’s house, the Nazis invaded Poland. Write about three changes the Jews endured under Nazi invasion. Jews were ordered to wear the Star of David on their clothing. Jewish children could not attend school. Most Jews could not hold jobs.
12. Why did Jadzia, Jack’s sister, leave her grandfather’s home? (29-30) Jack’s aunt was expecting a baby and wanted Jadzia to come help her.