Professor Moser’s Notebooks
| Artefact: | Professor Moser's Notebooks |
|---|---|
| Theme: | War Orphans |
| Grade Level: | Intermediate (6-9) |
Suggested time: 10-15 minutes
Grades: 6+
Read the following quote from Professor Shia Moser and answer the following questions.
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“The children seemed remarkably normal to me, considering what they had gone through, either in hiding or in the concentration camps. The majority had come from lower-middle class homes in central Poland, spoke Yiddish and ranged in age from six to teenagers. It was for me, a very exciting time, though the word exciting is not exactly the right one. Perhaps I mean uplifting. It was being with children who had survived and teaching them. I taught them Yiddish, Hebrew and history. Sometimes I would give a special talk about a topic like the French Revolution. I still remember so many details, their names and their faces. I stayed at the children’s home for almost a year. I wanted to preserve the memories of the surviving children. They went through so much, such a tragedy. Each child had been so close to death that I thought [everyone] should know about their experiences. The Jewish Historical Institute of Warsaw made me an official investigator. The children would come into my room and talk to me while I transcribed their stories into notebooks. They seemed glad to tell me about their parents, their families and all that had happened to them. I think it made them feel very close to me afterwards.” –Dr. Shia Moser |
- Why do you think the Jewish Historical Institute in Poland appointed Professor Moser to “investigate” the experiences of children who survived the Holocaust?
- How does Professor Moser feel about writing down the stories of the children at Peterswald Children’s Home in his notebooks?
- What do you think Professor Moser expected to accomplish when he accepted the appointment as an investigator for the Jewish Historical Institute?
- What do you think it meant to the children to have Professor Moser listen to their stories?
Extension activity:
Alla Oppenheim, born May 3, 1934, told her story to Professor Moser at the Peterswald Children’s Home about a year after the Holocaust ended.
For this extension activity, please view Alla's notebook containing her testimony and the photograph that Alla gave to Professor Moser as a gift. Complete the following questions:
- Read the translation of Alla’s testimony by yourself.
- On a sheet of paper, make three columns with the following headings and fill in each column with your answers:
- Facts I learned from Alla’s testimony;
- Why it is important to have Alla’s testimony recorded; and
- Questions I have after reading Alla’s testimony.
- Share one fact and one question you have with another classmate. Discuss together how your answers differ from your classmate’s.