Ghana Session: Holocaust studies with Susan Stein

Susan Stein came to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School to conduct a lesson on Holocaust studies with Mr. Wronko’s Dream Academy and the students in Ghana.

Holocaust studies

Susan Stein was a teacher who taught Holocaust history and literature, dramatic literature, and play writing at the Princeton Day School. During this session her expertise on the subject matter was greatly appreciated by all students.

The session began with Susan Stein asking all the Dream Academy and the students in Ghana about what they know about the Holocaust. After the students shared what they knew, Susan Stein gave all the students, students in Ghana received via email, a piece of writing from the Diary of Anonymous Girl.

Diary of Anonymous Girl

This session got even more interesting because Susan Stein had the students in Ghana read along with the students at the MLK. While reading this excerpt, students were encouraged to underline phrases that caught their attention and explain what they meant. The next paragraph was the piece of writing that was discussed during the session:

Today I had a fight with my father. I swore at him, even cursed him. It happened because yesterday I weighed twenty decagrams of zacierki and then sneaked a spoonful. When my father came back, he immediately noticed that some zacierki were missing. My father started yelling at me and he was right. But since the chairman [Mordechai Chaim Rumkowski, the head of the Jewish Council of Lodz] gave out these zacierki to be cooked, why can’t I have some? I became very upset and cursed my father. What have I done? I regret it so much, but it can’t be undone. My father is not going to forgive me. How will I ever look him in the eyes? He stood by the window and cried like a baby. Not even a stranger has ever insulted him before. The whole family witnessed this incident. I went to bed as soon as possible, without dinner. I thought I would die of hunger, because we have our meal only in the evening. I fell asleep and woke up at twelve. My mom was still working at the sewing machine. I couldn’t stand the hunger, so I got up and took a piece of meal. We would be a happy family, if I didn’t fight with everybody. All the fights are started by me. I must be manipulated by some evil force. I would like to be different, but I don’t have a strong enough will. There is nobody I can talk to. Why isn’t there anybody who would guide me, why can’t anybody teach me? I hate my sister. She is a stranger to me. God, show me what is right. Today there was a ration of eight kilograms of briquettes for those who don’t get provisions in the kitchen.

Etty

Once this piece of writing was discussed, Susan Stein shared with the students a segment from the play Etty that she had worked on and performed. She created the play of Etty by reading the diaries and letters of Etty Hillesum. Etty Hillesum was a young Jewish woman living in Amsterdam during the Holocaust. The play Susan Stein created used Etty’s words to bring to attention on what life was like living during the time of the Holocaust.

The Dream Academy and Ghana students greatly appreciated the time Susan Stein took out from her schedule to conduct this special lesson on the Holocaust. She was also invited back to a future Ghana Session in which she would love to do.