I Have Lived a Thousand Years

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Known colloquially in Israel as “Yom HaShoah,” May 5 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Are you familiar with this holiday? Generally, discuss what you’ve learned about the Holocaust in your studies so far. In addition to the basic facts of the Holocaust (when it happened, where it occurred, who was involved, etc.), also discuss the reasons why Hitler targeted Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Teaching Suggestion: The United States Holocaust Museum offers a compilation of resources entitled “Teaching Materials on the Holocaust: Foundational Holocaust Lesson Plans for Teaching Students.” Depending on how this discussion goes, you may want to have students focus on certain sections of this lesson plan—for example, if students are unclear on the timing of the Holocaust in relation to other world events, you may want to review “Lesson: Holocaust Timeline Activity.” This prompt will encourage students to think more deeply about Jewish Identity and the impact of the Holocaust on shaping that identity.

• My Jewish Learning’s “Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Memorial Day” gives an overview on this holiday.
• ABC News’s video “Israel Comes to Standstill as Sirens Mark Memorial Day” shows how May 5 is commemorated via air raid sirens wailing nationwide for 2 minutes while the city comes to a halt.

2. It is estimated that 1.5 million Jewish children were killed during the Holocaust. What was life like for children in the concentration camps? For those children who survived, how do you think growing up in such an environment impacted their psyches as adults?

Teaching Suggestion: One of the core themes in I Have Live a Thousand Years revolves around The Loss of Innocence. This prompt gets to the heart of that theme by having students reflect on the lived experiences of innocent children who, like Bitton-Jackson, had their childhoods cut short when they were forced into concentration camps like Plaszow, Auschwitz, and Dachau.

• The Holocaust Encyclopedia’s entry “Children During the Holocaust” describes how children were especially vulnerable to Nazi persecution.
• The organization Yad Vashem features an online exhibition entitled “Children in the Holocaust.”

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

To honor International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the World Jewish Congress holds their #WeRemember Campaign, encouraging people to take to social media to “remind the world of what can happen when hatred is allowed to thrive unchecked.” Have you ever seen or participated in a campaign like this on your own social media? What’s the importance of remembering the Holocaust on modern outlets like social media?

Teaching Suggestion: Orient this discussion by reading aloud as a class the #WeRemember Campaign’s FAQs, which include the questions “Why must #WeRemember the Holocaust?” and “What can you do to ensure the past is never forgotten?” Even if students have not participated in a #WeRemember social media campaign directly, have them reflect on and discuss why online activism (or activism in general, if they are not on social media) is important to them. If they have no prior experience with activism, have them reflect and discuss why it could be important.

• World Jewish Congress’ video “Speaking to us from the Past: Colorizing Photos from the Holocaust” shows how, by bringing a modern perspective to the Holocaust—such as colorizing images or discussing it on social media—can make the tragedy easier for contemporary people to understand and ensures that we never forget.
• The Council on Foreign Relations’ “The Promise of Digital Activism—and Its Dangers” discusses the potential of social justice campaigns like #WeRemember and the backlash to these campaigns.

Differentiation Suggestion: For kinesthetic learners, have students search the hashtag #WeRemember on their own social media and ask them to identify posts that they find moving, powerful, or otherwise inspiring. Discuss your findings as a group.