...I never saw another butterfly

Poems included in the Collection ...I never saw another butterfly were written by children from the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Terezin, Czechoslovakia, 1942-1944.  Terezin was a concentration/transit camp in Czechoslovakia that was also used as a propaganda tool for the Nazis. In 1944, they allowed the Red Cross to visit their façade of gardens and cultural vitality.

The children’s poetic legacy was made possible by art teacher Friedl Dicker- Brandeis, a former student of the Bauhaus movement. Ms. Dicker-Brandeis immediately recognized that the children would benefit from a means of artistic expression to balance the chaos and sadness that dominated their lives. She risked her to life to hoard art supplies and provided the children a respite and escape, thus helping to preserve their humanity and quell their fears. The children produced approximately 5,000 artistic pieces, including images of nature and their families.

Ms. Dicker-Brandeis was deported to Auschwitz on October 6. 1944 and died in Birkenau.

The children of the Theresienstadt were part of 141,000 Jews held in Terezin. 33,456 died in the ghetto from its inhumane conditions. 88,202 were transported to the death camps in the East. In May 1945, 15,000 children were transported to Auschwitz. Only 100 survived.

The children’s art and poetry were preserved in two suitcases entrusted to Raja Engländerova, a former student of Friedl-Dicker, who brought the suitcases to the Prague Jewish Community. Through their preservation, one can see the power of art to liberate the mind and spirit from the most inhumane circumstances.

Suggested Activities 

1. Pick a journal/diary/notebook to explore in depth. What is the difference between a journal, a notebook, and a diary (see description below)?
2. Write a journal or diary entry about a significant event currently happening in your life that matters to you. It could be about a person, an experience or something of which you are particularly proud. Why would someone else want to read it?

[Suggested coping mechanisms such as helping others, movement, being honest with yourself while holding onto hope, literature, art, music, education, and gratitude.]

[The terms journal, diary, and notebook are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct purposes:

1. Diary – A personal record of daily events, thoughts, and emotions. It is typically chronological and used for self-reflection or documentation. Example: "Today was a rainy day. I stayed inside and read my favorite book."
2. Journal – More flexible than a diary, a journal can include personal reflections, ideas, sketches, goal tracking, or creative writing. It is often used for self-improvement, planning, or exploring specific topics. Example: A gratitude journal, a travel journal, or a dream journal.
3. Notebook – A general-purpose book for writing notes, ideas, or information. It is often used for studying, work, or brainstorming rather than personal reflection. Example: Meeting notes, to-do lists, or class lectures.]

BIBLIOGRAPHY – RECOMMENDED READING

Laskier, Rutka. Rutka’s Notebook: A Voice from the Holocaust. Jerusalem: Yad Vashem, 2008.

Rudashevski, Yitskhok. The Diary of the Vilna Ghetto. Israel: Ghetto Fighters’ House, 1979.

Zapruder, Alexandra. New Haven:  Salvaged Pages: Young Writers’ Diaries of the Holocaust – New Haven:  Yale University Press, 2002.

EXTENDED RESEARCH 
Students may research and report on one of the children featured in Salvaged Pages: Young Writers’ Diaries of the Holocaust - Collected and edited by Alexandra Zapruder:

·       Klaus Langer – Essen, Germany

·       Elisabeth Kaufmann – Paris, France

·       Peter Feigel – France

·       Moshe Flinker – Brussels, Belgium

·       Peter Ginz and Eva Ginzová

·       Anonymous Girl – Lódź Ghetto

·       Miriam Korber – Transnistria

·       Dawid Rubinowicz – Krajno, Poland

·       Elsa Binder – Stanislawów, Poland

·       Ilya Gerber – Kovno Ghetto

·       Anonymous Boy - Lódź Ghetto

·       Alice Ehrmann – Terezín Ghetto