Activity Overview
For Jews living under Nazi persecution survival was incredibly uncertain. Leaving evidence of their experiences, testimony to their struggles, provided a way to resist the German “Aryan race” narrative that was the only official media story permitted and to chronicle the truth. Students will examine the work of Emanuel Ringelblum and the clandestine work of Oneg Shabbat in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Grade Level
7-12
ELA Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies:
RH1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate, objective summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH7: Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
RH8: Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text. Identify and distinguish between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
WHST6: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source by applying discipline-specific criteria used in the social sciences
WHST7: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Social Studies Framework:
10.5 UNRESOLVED GLOBAL CONFLICT (1914–1945): World War I and World War II led to geopolitical changes, human and environmental devastation, and attempts to bring stability and peace.
10.5d Nationalism and ideology played a significant role in shaping the period between the world wars.
10.5e Human atrocities and mass murders occurred in this time period.
SEL Benchmarks
1A. Identify and understand their emotions and how emotions relate to their actions. Use understanding of emotions to inform actions.
2A. Recognize and build empathy for the feelings and perspectives of others.
2B. Recognize and affirm individual identities as well as individual and group similarities and differences, including those rooted in culture, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, ability, etc.
3A: Consider individual and collective social, emotional, and physical safety and well-being, as well as social context in making decisions.
Objectives
Students will explain the purpose and significance of Emanuel Ringelblum’s Oneg Shabbat archive as a form of resistance and historical documentation during the Holocaust.
Students will analyze selected documents and testimonies from the Oneg Shabbat archive to understand how Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto resisted Nazi propaganda by preserving personal and communal experiences.
Students will evaluate the role of documentation and testimony as a form of resistance, truth-telling, and legacy-building in the face of systematic oppression.
Students will reflect on the moral courage and foresight required to create the Oneg Shabbat archive and consider the importance of preserving truth in times of injustice.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the concept of preserving memory and history through the creation of a time capsule.
Students will reflect on their own experiences and articulate the importance of preserving personal and communal history for future generations.
