A Personal Approach to the Holocaust in Romania
This three-lesson unit focuses on David Schaffer, a survivor of the Holocaust from Romania. Through David’s story, we examine the horrific events which took place, and the deep and lasting impact these events had on the people and communities targeted. The trauma and pain inflicted by the Holocaust did not end on Liberation Day. It caused deep and pervasive scars and decimated communities beyond the point of return. It is crucial that students understand the lasting impacts of these actions, and how they changed the lives of millions of people—and the course of the world.
Students will examine the events of the Holocaust in Romania through a historical thinking/research lens and through a more personal approach as we delve into David’s testimony. Finally, we will explore what these events meant for immigration and refugee movements before researching local support systems that could assist people who are today fleeing atrocities.
This unit is intended for senior students, but can be adapted to suit the needs of the classroom. Ideally, this unit will follow previous lesson(s) on the Holocaust.
The primary goal of this unit is to examine the staggering, horrific events of the Holocaust through the humanizing medium of testimony: David Schaffer’s personal story. Students will gain experience working with testimony and gathering historical information and data. The unit concludes in a support action plan, which prompts students to consider how they can personally assist immigrants and refugees in their own communities.
The unit is flexible, allowing educators to adapt the lesson depending on the needs of their classroom. We have also included prompts for additional topics or concepts that could be focused on. These three sections, “The Holocaust in Romania,” “Testimony as Historical Source: Focus on David,” and “Immigration and Post-War Life” can be taught individually or together.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- gain experience working with survivor testimony.
- examine the Holocaust in Romania.
- identify the 10 stages of genocide and how they occurred in Romania.
- consider and analyze the lasting impacts of trauma.
- build understanding of immigrant and refugee movements.
- consider how they can personally support newcomers in their own communities.
It is crucial that educators provide trauma-informed pedagogy, perhaps including trigger warning to their class for the following material. A safe space should be offered if students feel the need to disengage.
Before delving into this unit, students would benefit from previous engagement with World War Two, more generally, and the Holocaust specifically. However, with ample context, this unit can serve as primary learning about the Holocaust.
Though not necessary, students would benefit from previous learning about:
- World War Two and the Holocaust
- related concepts—antisemitism, discrimination, immigration, etc.
- genocide
- context for the Holocaust, and a timeline of events
- other survivor testimony
Guiding Questions
- Describe the treatment of Jews in Romania through the lens of the stages of Genocide.
- What were the movements of refugees during and post-war?
- How can citizens and local services support immigrants and refugees moving into their neighbourhoods?
Additional Topics
David’s story provides avenues to highlight many other topics and concepts:
- civil disobedience versus “following the rules”
- trauma, inter-generational trauma
- loss of community, possessions, land, business
