# data[].attributes.body
Link to Google Slides.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Antonio

2. Jesus

3. Stefany

4. Cynthia

5. Abby

6. Rose

7. Criss

8. Oliver

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Google Slides.

# data[].attributes.body
1. Ahmad

2. Brian

3. Uniique

4. Shilah

5. Janely

6. Diane

7. Isai

8. Francisco

9. Lindsay

10. Alexa

# data[].attributes.body
1. Michelle

2. Jocelyn B

3. Lisbetty

4. Dylan

5. Alexander

6. Britany

7. Jocelina C

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Google Slides.

# data[].attributes.body
Today, we spent time exploring the stories of people who are real survivors of the Holocaust. While our story Milkweed is fictional, it represents real-life events and stories of life in the ghetto during the Holocaust. Using this Padlet, we are going to connect the stories you read about with our novel. Remember to use the sentence starters and the information from the slides to help you respond to the prompts.

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Google Slides.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about John Chillag is...

John Chillag's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because...

It is important to read these survivor stories because...

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Google Slides.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Arek Hersh is...

Arek Hersh's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because...

It is important to read these survivor stories because...

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Ibi Ginsburg is...

Ibi Ginsburg's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because...

It is important to read these survivor stories because...

# data[].attributes.body
Link to Google Slides.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Surviving forced labour

John grew up in Hungary. After the Nazi invasion his family was imprisoned in a ghetto before being deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. John survived forced labour in a number of camps before being liberated at Buchenwald in 1945.

Early Life

John was born in Vienna in 1927 to a Hungarian father and an Austrian mother. Due to the turbulent political climate in Austria the family moved to Hungary in 1934. John's family owned a building materials business and his father worked for them as an accountant. John had a happy life in Györ with his large extended family.

1944

In 1944 the Germans invaded Hungary and life changed overnight for John and his family. They had to immediately start wearing a yellow star on their clothing and John was no longer allowed to attend school. Shortly after, the Jewish population of Györ was forced into a ghetto. The ghetto was overcrowded, and 35 members of John's family lived in one house. In the ghetto the Jewish council used John as an interpreter and messenger to the SS as he spoke German.

"We had the extended family. They were all in that one house, which wasn't all that big to start with. And I suppose there must have been about 20 of us moving into what one calls today a 2 or 3 bedroom semi."

The camps

In May 1944 John and his family were placed in overcrowded cattle wagons for a four-day journey to Auschwitz-Birkenau. John, his father and uncle survived the initial selection and were admitted into the camp. John and his father managed to remain together but they were separated from his uncle. They were shaved, given a prisoner uniform, and assigned a number which was to replace their name. John discovered after the war that 58 members of his family were immediately gassed at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

"I am 84007, my father was 84008, my uncle was 84006."

After almost two months in Auschwitz, John and his father were transferred to an armament factory in Bochum to work as forced labourers making ship cannons. John worked on a steel forging press operating at 1000 degrees centigrade with no protective clothing. There was little food and their living quarters were cramped and dirty with poor sanitation. John's father died in Bochum due to the conditions that they endured.

In March 1945, as the Allied forces got nearer to Bochum, John was evacuated with other prisoners to Buchenwald concentration camp, near the town of Weimar in Germany. By the time John was liberated by the American forces on 11th April he was so weak that he was unable to get down from his bunk.

After

John returned to Györ after the war, where he discovered that no one from his family had survived. He started to rebuild his family business until it was nationalised by the ruling Communists in 1949. John then emigrated to Australia where he met his wife Audrey and had three children. He worked as an engineer before moving with his family to England. John spent many years of his retirement telling his story to schoolchildren and adult groups alike.

"We're not in England are we, we're in Yorkshire. Well, no problem, but I don't know the first thing about cricket, but I couldn't play for Yorkshire even if I lived here for... I couldn't play cricket, full stop."

To learn more about John's story visit The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre. For more information click

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
John Chillag - The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Surviving forced labour John was born in Vienna in 1927 to a Hungarian father and an Austrian mother. Due to the turbulent political climate in Austria the family moved to Hungary in 1934. John's family owned a building materials business and his father worked for them as an accountant.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Surviving Auschwitz

Ibi was born in Hungary into a strict religious family. She survived Auschwitz-Birkenau and a death march. After the war she met Val, a fellow survivor, and they fell in love.

"Even though we only had one year of the troubles, instead of three or four like in Poland and Czechoslovakia, the end product was devastating. They did everything fast and very efficiently."

Early Life

Ibi grew up in a small town in Hungary. Her family was strictly religious but lived happily alongside people of all different faiths. Ibi was the eldest of four daughters.

1944

On 19 th March 1944 the Germans invaded Hungary and the Jewish population was immediately ordered to wear yellow stars. A few weeks later the Jewish people were rounded up and sent to live in overcrowded ghettos. After two weeks in the ghetto, Ibi's family was ordered to pack for a journey to Germany for work.

Ibi and her family were forced into a cattle wagon with only a bucket for sanitation. The journey took three days. People were terrified - they didn't know where they were going or what would happen next.
"Everybody was full of foreboding, frightened. Where are they taking us? What is going to happen to us?"
After three days in the wagon they arrived at their destination, which was not in Germany but in Poland. They had arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

Ibi and her family were helped from the wagons by men in striped uniforms and had to wait in a queue with hundreds of other people who had been crammed onto the same train. People were frightened and confused - they had no idea where they were and had barely eaten for days.

They were then separated. Ibi's father was taken away first, then her mother and two youngest sisters were led away. Ibi and her 13-year-old sister Judith were sent in a different direction and told that they were going to work, and that they would see their family later. Ibi later learned that her mother and younger sisters had been immediately taken to the gas chambers.

Ibi and Judith had their possessions and clothing taken away, their hair shaved, and they were issued with a camp uniform. They were sent to a wooden barrack that had a concrete floor and wooden bunks. They were given very little food and had to stand for hours every day in all weathers as the thousands of prisoners were counted.

"And I thought to myself "But they can't stop birds flying over" and I was looking for birds, I remember the whole afternoon and there were no birds, birds didn't fly over us. I thought to myself, "This must be Hell."

The End

After three months in Auschwitz, Ibi and Judith were taken to work in a forced labour camp in Germany. By this time they could see British and American planes flying overhead and were aware that the war was going badly for Germany. In the final days of the war they were taken on a death march towards a concentration camp in Germany. Ibi was liberated before they got there, on 1 st May 1945.

"We were constantly hungry, humiliated, we worked, but we knew that the end was coming... We just hung on to life."

A New Life

After liberation Ibi was taken to a hospital to recover. When she was well enough she began working in the hospital administration. There she met Val, who was recuperating after surviving forced labour in several concentration camps. They fell in love and married, but neither of them wished to return to their home countries.

Val's cousin had also survived the Holocaust and was living in West Yorkshire with her husband Joseph, where they were setting up a textile firm. She invited Val and Iby to join them. The couple moved to England in 1948 and worked in the textile industry. They had two daughters and remained a devoted couple for over 60 years. Both Val and Ibi devoted their lives to Holocaust education.

Ibi sadly died in February 2010 and is greatly missed.

To learn more about Ibi's story visit our exhibition, 'Through Our Eyes', at The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ibi Ginsburg - The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Surviving Auschwitz "Even though we only had one year of the troubles, instead of three or four like in Poland and Czechoslovakia, the end product was devastating. They did everything fast and very efficiently." Ibi grew up in a small town in Hungary. Her family was strictly religious but lived happily alongside people of all different faiths.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Auschwitz survivor

Arek grew up in Poland and was imprisoned in Łódz ghetto and then in Auschwitz-Birkenau. Arek survived a death march before finally being liberated from Theresienstadt in 1945.

"I wake up every day and I say "well here I am again", because I remember the other side of the coin. Every day to me is another day - I enjoy life, I make everything possible."

Life in Poland

Arek was born in a tight-knit family, one of five siblings. The family followed the Jewish faith and Arek attended a Jewish school. Arek had a happy childhood going to the park, ice-skating and singing solos in the school choir. Despite his happy childhood he does remember experiencing antisemitism in Poland:

"I was coming out from the school and a few Polish children shouted me "Go back to Palestine". I was born in Poland, a Polish subject, but according to them we weren't Polish."

Łódz Ghetto

On 1 st September 1939 the German army invaded Poland. Arek's family fled their home and went to Łódz to stay with family. The journey to Łódz was 65km and took them three days on foot. Arek remembers seeing German soldiers laughing and joking whilst humiliating Jewish men by cutting off their beards.

The Jewish population in Łódz was forced to wear a Star of David on their outer clothing to identify them. Soon after, they were forced into an overcrowded ghetto with poor sanitation and very little food. Towards the end of 1941 the authorities came to take Arek's father to a work camp. His father escaped, so they tried to take Arek's brother as a replacement. He also escaped, so they took 11-year-old Arek instead. Arek was able to survive the camp at Otoschno in Nazi-occupied Poland because his job was cleaning the commandant's office, so he was indoors and was able to steal food.

In 1942 Arek was sent back to the ghetto. He and his remaining family members were taken to a church in Sieradz with other people from the ghetto. As they were being sorted into groups, Arek managed to escape to a line of people who were being taken back to the ghetto. His family, with the majority of others at the church, were taken to the death camp at Chelmnø where they were murdered.

Arek went to live in the ghetto orphanage and worked in a textile mill for the next two years.

"I didn't know what to do, I was on my own, the older people didn't have time for me you know. So I went out on the street. I sat on the corner and I started crying, I didn't know what to do."

Auschwitz

In 1944 the Germans decided to close Łódz ghetto as the Russian army was approaching. Those in the ghetto were taken on a two-day journey to Auschwitz-Birkenau, including 15-year-old Arek who was amongst 185 children from the orphanage.

Upon arrival at Auschwitz the prisoners were divided into two lines in a process called 'selection'. Healthy working-age people went in one line, while older people, those who were ill or disabled, children and nursing mothers went into another. Arek could tell that the healthier-looking people were being sent to one side, so he quickly went with them when a disturbance distracted the guards. If Arek had not swapped lines he would have been sent straight to the gas chamber.

Arek was then shaved all over and made to shower before being given a striped uniform and tattooed with the number B7608. After this Arek lost his name and identity. From that moment on he was only referred to by his number.

In Auschwitz Arek had to work as an agricultural labourer for the SS. He had to plough fields and fertilize them using ashes from the crematoria. He remembers feeling pieces of bones in the ashes as he spread it. Arek was later transferred to the fishing commando to catch fish to be sent to Germany.

The Death March

By January 1945 it was clear that Germany was losing the war. As the Russian army advanced, the Germans decided to clear Auschwitz to try to hide evidence of their crimes. The remaining prisoners were taken on a forced march which lasted three days, with no food and only their striped uniforms as protection against the deep snow and icy temperatures. Those who survived the march arrived at a train station from where they were taken to Buchenwald, near the town of Weimar in Germany. Arek was placed in a children's barrack. After a few months in Buchenwald Arek and 3000 others were loaded onto open wagons before setting off on a month-long journey to Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia. Of the 3000 who had set off, only 600 arrived alive. Arek was liberated from Theresienstadt on 9 th May 1945 by the Russian army. Arek remembers being given rice pudding to eat.

England

Arek was brought to England in a group of 300 children in August 1945. The group included some girls but was generally known as 'The Boys', and they were taken to Windermere in the Lake District to recuperate and learn English. Arek then moved to Liverpool with some of the boys to learn a trade.

Arek discovered that only 40 people from his hometown had survived the war. Most of the population had been killed at the death camp Chełmno, including most of his family. Arek was reunited with his elder sister Mania two years after the war had ended.

Arek didn't speak about his experiences until 1995 when he wrote his book, 'A Detail of History'. Today Arek speaks to people of all ages about his experiences during the Holocaust. He does this in the hope that he can help young people build a better world by educating them about where intolerance and prejudice can lead.

To learn more about Arek's story visit our exhibition, 'Through Our Eyes', at The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Arek Hersh - The Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Auschwitz survivor " I wake up every day and I say "well here I am again", because I remember the other side of the coin. Every day to me is another day - I enjoy life, I make everything possible." Arek was born in a tight-knit family, one of five siblings.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Ibi Ginsburg is she was in the holocaust

Ibi Ginsburg's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because they were also around the time in the Holocaust so they can relate

It is important to read these survivor stories because we can remember to make sure it never happens again

# data[].attributes.body
Arek tried to get away and flee from the Nazis with his family but was eventually put into the ghetto. Arek Hersh story connects to milkweed because Arek was also a orphan like Misha and was and was put into the ghetto he also stole food just like Misha did. It is important to read about survivor stories because it is good to know about our past and what others had to go through and how people used to be and how hard peoples lives were

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Ibi Ginsburg is she was in the camp for only a year and she described it as hell. Ibi Ginsburg's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because in the book the Jewish people were also forced to wear yellow arm bands and Ginsburg was also forced to wear the yellow arm bands. It is important to read these survivor stories because we can understand what they went through during the time period and their pov of the situation.

# data[].attributes.body
1.One new thing I learned about Ibi Ginsburg is that she lived in a small town named Hungary.
2. Ibi Ginsburg's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because Misha did not meet her parents and they also have to wear a yellow armband.
3.It is important to read these survivor stories because we would not understand what happened to them and what they did to get their rights.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Ibi Ginsburg is... she and her sister wetn sent to go work while her mom and younger sister were sent to the gas chamber. Ibi Ginsburg's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because... They were told to wear yellow stars and it relates because in milkweed they had to wear blue and white armbands to show they were jews in both the book and article. It is important to read these survivor stories because... Like that we can try to know or understand the struggle they had to go through while being there. And also to give a bit of respect.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Arek Hersh is that he went with his family walking to Lodz and it took him 3 days to get there.

Arek Hersh's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because when he got to the Lodz in poland he was forced to wear a Star of David on their clothing like the Characters in milkweed.

It is important to read these survivor stories because we get to learn more about how they got treated in the Holocaust and how they managed to keep themselves alive.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about John Chillag is That He told his story to school children and wrote memoirs about his life.

John Chillag's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because He was in a concentration camp too like the other people in the story.

It is important to read these survivor stories because we want to make sure it does not happen again.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Arek Hersh is when is was only 11 years old they took him to a labor camp and his job was to clean the commandant's office.
Arek Hersh's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because they had to go to a ghetto and they also had to steal food in order to eat and people had to wear something so people can identity them.
It is important to read these survivor stories because you can learn about their past and everything they had to go through and what it was like for people back then.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about John Chillag is that he shares his memories of ythe holocaust with schoolkids and adults .

John Chillag's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because he was sent to the ghetto and it was unsanitary and dirty just like misha said when the ghetto everything is gray but in the city everything is colorful

It is important to read these survivor stories because people need to learn that in the concertration camp it wasent a joke and that that jews suffered without food water and with virus spreding from obvercrowded and no showers.

# data[].attributes.body
-One new thing I learned about Ibi Ginsburg is that she grew up in Hungary  that is a small town and her family was strictly religious.

-Ibi Ginsburg's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because in the story Jewish people were ordered to wear yellow stars and in the Story Milkweed Jewish people were forced to wear armbands to let the Nazis who is a Jewish and who is not.

-It is important to read these survivor stories because then they could have had a bad time in the past and we could have said something bad about them and also it is important to read these survivor stories because they could have been a hero to others if they helped others for when something bad was happening.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Arek Hersh is...that he was one of five siblings.

Arek Hersh's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because...he was in the ghetto and he was involved with jews.

It is important to read these survivor stories because...you could learn about what happened to them in the pass  and what they went through with and how hard it was for them.

# data[].attributes.body
1.    One new thing I learned about Ibi  Ginsburg is..She went to the jewish camp for only an year and her mom and her younger sister sadly passed away
2. Ibi Ginsburg's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because her and other jews had to wear yellow star or band.
3. It is important to read these survivor stories because it is important people they went through a lot and they didn't deserved this just because they were jews

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Arek Hersh is one out of 3,000 people only 600 survived and he was one of them and he had no water or food to eat for three days.

Arek Hersh's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because in milkweed misha and the milligrams had nothing to eat but misha climbed out the ghetto to go to the city so he can get food for the milligrams

It is important to read these survivor stories because we all may have different pasts and different ways on how we lived .

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Arek Hersh is that he was liberated on May, 9, 1945.

Arek Hersh's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because in Milkweed Misha saw a person cutting his beard and cleaning the street with it.

It is important to read these survivor stories because we will know how important it will be if we knew how hard their lives were and how much they suffered during the camp and also to not make fun over it.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about John Chillag is...that he shared his story to people when he was a kid

John Chillag's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because...the nazis were taking over and they put the yellow stars on them

It is important to read these survivor stories because...it teaches us about what people when threw

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about John Chillag is that himself and his family had to move to hungary due to the political issues.

John Chillag's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because the Nazis put the yellow stars on them.

It is important to read these survivor stories because it can teach us what Jews had to go through.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Arek Hersh is he was sent to a camp  and i think misha is going to go to the camp because he is always trying to get food and i think they are going to catch him. Arek Hersh's story connects to the events and characters misha from Milkweed because uri gave misha a fake story and he said that misha's parents died and Arek hersh parent died to world war two. It is important to read these survivor stories because it will give use detail about the novel  milkweed and it will give us background info.

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about Ibi Ginsburg is... she and her sister wetn sent to go work while

Ibi Ginsburg's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because in the story Jewish people were ordered to wear yellow stars

It is important to read these survivor stories because we can remember to make sure it never happens again and to be safe

# data[].attributes.body
One new thing I learned about John Chillag is that he worked on a steel forging press that was 1,000 degrees with no protective gear and was given very little food.
John Chillag's story connects to the events and characters from Milkweed because he was given a bit of food, where they live was not clean, and they lived in dirty cramped places .
It is important to read these survivor stories because