Women in the Holocaust: Emmie’s Story
This lesson builds on the previous lesson on intersectionality, applying what students have learned to Emmie’s experiences as presented in “But I Live.”
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- conceptualize women’s lives in the Holocaust through Emmie’s story
- relate intersectionality to Emmie’s story
Guiding Question
- How does Emmie’s story demonstrate intersectionality?
- How were Jewish women impacted by the Holocaust?
Introduction
Begin the lesson with a general content warning. Inform students that throughout this project, they will be dealing with difficult subject matter and troubling images. Inform them that today’s lesson will help equip them with tools to confront challenging subject matter in a productive and safe way.
Establish the class routine of the “mood meter” (see resources) . Students will begin and end each class by taking stock of their mood, and then writing a short private reflection on what they are feeling and why they are feeling that way. Inform students that regular emotional self check-ins are an important part of safety—it is important that students stay mindful of their mood so that they can advocate for themselves if they feel incapable of participating.
This practice will bookend each lesson: begin and end with a period of quiet reflection. Students should be encouraged to pay attention to changes in their mood over the course of the lesson, the unit, the project. Some may not experience much fluidity; this is okay too.
Lesson Activities
Connecting with previous class
Building on yesterday’s class, students will share their partially completed infographics with a partner. They will discuss why they included what they did, and how their infographics relate to the specifics outlined in the template.
Have students answer the following questions in a class discussion:
- How do we apply intersectionality to the Holocaust in order to understand gendered experiences of the Holocaust? What was the Holocaust like for women specifically?
- What are some issues that women face in our society?
- What are some issues that women have faced historically?
- How does it make you feel to reflect on the issues that women face?
Emmie’s Experiences
The lesson will continue to explore Emmie’s experiences during the Holocaust, specifically her head being shaved. These events are outlined on pages 12–14 of But I Live.
Ask students to review the relevant pages in Emmie’s testimony. In small groups have students discuss a few of the following questions
Debrief as a class.
- What are some of the things you first notice about the clippers? Do not infer meaning yet, simply state what you notice in the image—physical things, like colour for example.
- How does the image of the clippers with the statement “… they took off our hair” make you feel?
- Have you ever met anyone who was unhappy about losing their hair?
- Do you know anyone who shaves their head? How do they feel about losing their hair?
- Is hair an important part of many women’s life? Do you think that it would have been an even bigger part of their lives during the 1940s?
- How does this event show an issue that was specific to women during the Holocaust?
- How does Emmie’s story show intersectionality during the Holocaust?
- Why do you think women and girls were forced to have their heads shaved when taken to Ravensbrück?
- How does Emmie’s reaction to her daughter cutting her hair short make you feel? Do you think that Emmie is overreacting?
- How does Emmie’s trauma impact her reaction to her daughter cutting her hair short?
Continue the Infographic
Students will bring out their template for the infographic so they may add onto it. This addition will focus on Emmie’s story and what they have learned from it and how they believe it relates to intersectionality. Please refer to the template so students know what they are expected to include on this part of their infographic.
Conclusion
Have students lay out their in-progress project on their desk. Students will then do a gallery walk where they go around and see what their peers have been working on. Each student must share one positive thing they noticed about a classmate’s work. Ideally this will help students generate ideas if they are struggling, it will also allow students to share work in progress.
