Number on My Grandfather's Arm

The Number on My Grandfather's Arm

The Number on My Grandfathers Arm by David A. Adler with family photographs by Rose Eichenbaum. UAHC Press: New York, 1987.

Brief overview:

This book, illustrated with photographs, is about a 7 year old girl who learns about her grandfathers experiences as a Holocaust survivor. She notices the numbers tattooed on his arm and begins to ask her grandfather questions. He tells her about the rise of Adolf Hitler and the effects on the Jewish people. A discussion of the concentration camp of Auschwitz is also discussed.

Suggested activities:

1. Create a time line of the chronology of the Holocaust, using the events from pages 12 - 20 of the book.

2. Have students create titles or captions for the photographs found on page 13, 15, and 19. These photographs were courtesy of Yad Vashem.

3. Research the Auschwitz concentration camp: location, description, and statistics. An interesting site to see photographs of Auschwitz is Virtual Tour http://remember.org/educate/fotolist.html

4. To read first-hand account of an Auschwitz survivor, Primo Levi, read excerpts from Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi, published by Simon & Schuster, 1993 or go to www.inch.com/~ari/levi1.html.This is an actual interview with Primo Levi.

5. Locate all the European countries taken over by Hitler and the Nazi Party on a map. Color and label each country and place a date in each one when the takeover occurred.

6. Interview a grandparent or great-grandparent. Have them describe what their life was like where they originally came from as a child. Locate all places on a world map.

7. This book can be an excellent companion with the novel, The Devils Arithmetic, written by Jane Yolen. In this story the prisoners used the tattooed numbers to their benefit by associating each number and letter with something relevant in their own lives. For example, Rivka, a main character of the novel, says that the letter J is for Jewish and the #1 is because she is alone. Assign each student a letter with numbers and have them create a mnemonic to help them remember it based on their own lives. Use pages 100-101; 113; 119-120, on which the significance of the numbers is discussed. It is also important to discuss the significance of the title at the end of this novel.

Samples of Activity #7 from
The Number on My Grandfather's Arm

In The Devils Arithmetic, by Jane Yolen, Chaya and other Holocaust prisoners used mnemonic devices to memorize their numbers and others tattooed on their arms. After reading the novel, the students were given their own number to create their own way to remember it.

S123254

S - because I am Swedish, and I was caught Taking Jews to Sweden by boat

1 - because I had one dog

2 - because I have 2 sisters in this concentration camp

3 - for how many children are in my family

2 - because I have two shoes

5 - for the number of my family members

4 - for how many times I work a day

Phillip

J124476

The J stands for Jew because I am a Jew. I will survive.

The 1 stands for my one and only brother. He will survive.

The 2 stands for my two loving parents. They will survive.

The 4 stands for the four people in my family. We will survive.

The 4 stands for the four questions asked at the Seder. They will never die.

The 7 stands for the seven days that I pray. I will survive.

The 6 stands for the six days that G-d made the world. We all will survive.

Alix

C284062

C stands for the Catholic religion that I am

2 stands for the number of people that died in my family

8 stands for the number of people that are in the same bunk as me

4 stands for the number of friends I have made here

0 stands for the number of hours Ive gotten to sleep since Ive gotten here

6 stands for the number of Nazis that stand guard around my barrack

2 stands for the number of times I get fed each day

Colleen

J125455

This is my number:J125455

This is my name: Debbie

This is my status: Prisoner

J is because I am a Jew Hated for no apparent reason.

12 is my age;the age I will not die at.

5 is for the members of my immediate family. G-d bless us all.

4 represents the 4 chambers of my heart. None of which will burst here. I will not die here.

5 is the days I want to go to school. I want to be a doctor.

5 is for my immediate family members who have survived, who will survive with G-ds help.

I123253

I - I am an Italian. The son of a political prisoner who spoke out against Hitler.

12 - I am 12 years old. I will live through the Holocaust. I will survive.

3 - There are three children living in our family.

2 - There are two parents living in our family.

5 - All five family members survived the selection process.

3 - There are three relatives of ours living in this camp.

Arthur