www.grenierdesarah.org :
a site for the 8-11 year olds

"Sarah's attic" is a site especially designed for primary school children, more particularly the 8-11 year olds, and is an introduction to the Shoah.
Communicating this page of history, in particular to the younger public, is at the very heart of the Shoah Memorial's mission. Lessons on that period of history are included in the school curriculum of that age group.

Although it conceals nothing of the fate of the millions of European Jews assassinated by Nazi Germany and its allies, Sarah's attic approaches the Shoah indirectly through the fate of five Jewish children. It provides some keys to understanding Judaism, the Jewish way of life and the Yiddish culture, a world that the Shoah destroyed for ever.

How to use this site

Sarah's attic was designed so that unaccompanied children can visit the site.  Editorial and iconographic selections are mindful of the sensitivity of children that age. Parents and educators are nevertheless advised that their presence would be useful the first time the young visitor clicks on the title "tell me your story", so that a dialogue can ensue and possible questions be answered.  

In a school or association environment, the program can also be consulted by a small group of children with the help of an educator.  Special features were developed for members of the educational system.  The pedagogical department of the Memorial welcomes feedback from parents and teachers regarding children's reactions to the program. This will be extremely useful to develop future editorials for the younger public.

What is to be found in Sarah's attic?

Three main options are featured on the home page:

- "Once upon a time"
The stories in this collection give an idea of the Jewish culture in Europe that Nazi Germany was trying  to eliminate while it was also annihilating this human community.
On the home page, a click on the works in the library gives random access to a story.  To select another story, the visitor clicks on the icon "another story". 

- "In my treasure chest"
This medley opens a window onto Yiddish culture.  It contains language which speaks of every day life and traditions in central and Eastern Europe.
From the home page of the site, a click on the treasure chest starts off an animation to illustrate an anecdote on a random basis.

- "Tell me your story"
visitors to the site discover the fate of Jewish children who lived in France (or The Netherlands) during the Second World War. The actual protagonists of these biographies, or their close relatives, gave us their testimony which was faithfully transcribed and illustrated with their own photographs that are part of the collection of historical documents in the archives of the Centre de documentation juive contemporaire (Center of Contemporary Jewish Documentation).

This site was produced with the assistance of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (France).

Enter Sarah's attic