Sarah’s Attic is an introduction to the history of the Holocaust for primary school pupils, particularly those between the ages of eight and 12. They will find answers to most of their questions about the period, and adults accompanying them will find a section with teaching resources.
Sarah’s Attic was created for children between the ages of eight and 12. The words and pictures have been carefully chosen to avoid upsetting them.
The website is based on children’s questions about the period, which has been on the Ministry of National Éducation’s cycle 3 program since 2002.
Three sections — “Once Upon A Time”, “Words in the Ear” and “Tell Me Your Story” — provide keys of understanding to help them answer these questions.
Children can browse Sarah’s Attic on their own. However, it is advisable for adults to accompany them on their first visit in order to establish a dialogue and answer any questions they might have.
Small groups in schools or organizations can also consult the program with the mediation of an adult.
The homepage offers three main sections:
“Once Upon A Time”: The stories here provide a glimpse into European Jewish culture, which Nazi Germany tried to wipe out at the same time as the people who created it.
Clicking on a book in the library on the homepage randomly opens up a tale. To choose another, click on the “Another Story” icon.
“Words in the Ear”: Expressions in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino and Judeo-Arabic open up a window on the plurality of Judaism. Children can click on the phonograph to hear idioms in those various communities’ languages.
“Tell Me Your Story”: Children can click on the photo album to hear one of nine stories about everyday Jewish life during the war. Definitions and documents are available throughout each story.
Sarah’s Attic has a pedagogical space with ideas for class activities as well as publications. It can be used to plan lessons about the history of the Holocaust based on stories from the “Tell Me Your Story” section.
Thanks to the combined efforts of the Shoah Memorial, the Ministry of National Education and Serge Klarsfeld, a lawyer, historian and president of the Association of Sons and Daughters of Jews Deported from France, teachers can search the list of the 11,400 Jewish children deported from France between 1942 and 1944.
The list includes their first and last names, address at the time of arrest and date of deportation, as well as photos or documents that may have been found.
SEARCH THE LIST OF DEPORTED CHILDREN (french)
The website was created with help from the Ministry of National Education and Research.
