Terezín

Gr 5—8—The grim and desperate reality of Terezín is brought to life by the images and words of those who experienced it. As the war progressed, the Nazis held German, Dutch, and Danish Jews in the ghetto, as well as using it as a transport stop for some on their way to concentration camps such as Auschwitz. A large number of Jewish artists, writers, and performers were imprisoned at Terezín, many forced to use their talents for Nazi propaganda or official Nazi documents. Secretly, these artists also created images of what they observed, from the overcrowding to the deplorable, unsanitary living conditions to the plight of the elderly and infirm. In this book, excerpts from hidden diaries and letters, as well as drawings and paintings, make for a poignant overview of life inside the ghetto. The voices of adults and children are a moving reminder of the horrors of the Holocaust and a powerful way to make history real to students. The modern photographs of Terezín are juxtaposed against images and photographs created in the 1940s, making for an interesting contrast. This is a strong addition to the many books about the Holocaust, and to any history collection.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA