Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. How might someone describe the Holocaust? What events or opinions do you think ultimately caused the Holocaust? What texts or films try to describe or show the concentration and extermination camps?

Teaching Suggestion: Leon Leyson’s memoir describes the antisemitic views leading up to the German occupation and his experiences during the Holocaust in Poland. Students may benefit from exploring details about the Holocaust, the events that led up to it, and why antisemitism was prevalent in Europe at the time the memoir takes place.

• This article explains the Holocaust, why it happened, and how it impacted the world.
• This 14-minute video (teacher-appropriate; not student-facing; includes graphic descriptions of wartime violence) describes the Holocaust.

2. Who was Oskar Schindler? How might Schindler’s involvement in World War II have been different from that of other Germans? Why might Schindler be considered a hero?

Teaching Suggestion: Leon and most of his family began working for Schindler in his factories. Leon and his family developed a relationship with Schindler that ultimately saved their lives.