Jacobs Rescue
A Holocaust Story
Main Characters
Jacob was taken in by the Rosan's to keep him safe. During this troubling time, Jacob had to leave his home, his friends and his family to move in with a new family. The move brought many changes including changing his name and learning a new routine. Absolutely nothing was the same and it never would be again.
Plot
Connection 1
Jacob was a Jewish boy that lived in the ghetto with his grandmother and Aunt Hannah. His aunt found a family that would protect Jacob. He crawled out of a hole in the fence. A polish family took care of him and gave him a polish name. During the holocaust, Many Jewish people that lived in the ghetto and in poor conditions were sent to death camps by trains from the ghettos. The two death camps were Treblinka and Auschwitz.
Connection 2
Alex built a spot for Jacob to hide in case the Nazi soldiers search the house. If jacob got caught everyone in the house would be killed. If a non-jew found a Jewish person they would receive was a handsome reward for turning them in to the Nazi's. In the holocaust, if you broke a rule in one of the camps you would get shot.
Connection 3
Yurek was shot by a Nazi and died. After that incident, everyone felt unsafe. When they found out that the Germans were going to kill everyone they left and moved in with Mela's brother until the war was over. After the war, the boys moved back with their father and he kept them isolated from Alex, Mela and Mari. Sixteen years later, when the boys were going to school in California, they were able to see both of the boys but not at the same time. When the Rosan's escape from the chaos and move, it's like all the innocent people trying to escape the holocaust.
Quote
"He would have to bury Sholom sitting up. As he dug a hole in the basement, he recalled a story that Zenek, a young cripple who worked in the cemetery, had once told him, "Jews are buried sitting up," Zenek said, repeating the tall tale, "because when the Messiah comes, they want to be able to spring out of the ground to greet him."
I think Jacob is saying to his brother that he hopes he gets to see the Messiah because they only had enough space to bury him sitting up. They were following the jewish traditions.