Understanding the Lasting Impact of the Holocaust
In this unit, students will read “But I Live,” a short memoir co-written by Emmie Arbel and German artist Barbara Yelin. “But I Live” is about Arbel, an 84-year-old survivor of the Holocaust. This collaboration between survivor and artist provides a glimpse into Emmie’s experiences as a child in the Holocaust eighty years ago.
Students will analyze the artistic choices Yelin made as she represented Arbel’s memories in “But I Live.” Students will connect with Emmie through this investigation into visual storytelling, exploring how Emmie’s experiences have affected her identity and her daily life—even decades later.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- develop literacy skills specific to narrative art and visual storytelling.
- explore the lasting impact of the Holocaust through the lens of personal trauma.
- consider the value of narrative art and visual storytelling as a source to study the Holocaust.
Guiding Questions
- What are the differences between traditional testimony and testimony told through narrative art?
- To what extent / how does testimony told through graphic narrative play a role in preventing future genocides?
- How can the intentional destruction of a people and their culture (genocide) be disrupted and resisted?
