Question

Student Directions: Read this excerpt from Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine, in which a librarian, Fumiko Ishioka, is researching the town from which Hana, a Jewish girl, was sent to a Nazi prison camp during World War Two. Write the central idea of the passage. Theresienstadt was the name that the Nazis gave to the Czech town of Terezin. It was a pretty little town, with two imposing fortresses, first built in the 1800s to hold military and political prisoners. After the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia, they turned Terezin into the Theresienstadt ghetto—a walled, guarded, overcrowded prison town to hold Jews who had been forced to leave their homes. Over the course of World War Two, more than 140,000 Jews were sent here—15,000 of them children. Fumiko stayed up late at night, her office a glow of light in the darkened center, reading everything she could find about Theresienstadt. She learned that awful things had happened in Theresienstadt, and that over the course of a few years almost everyone in the ghetto was deported again, put on trains and sent off to the more terrible concentration camps in the East, which were known to be death camps. But Fumiko also learned that brave and inspiring things happened in Theresienstadt. Among the adults were some very special people—great artists, famous musicians, historians, philosophers, fashion designers, social workers. They were all in Theresienstadt because they were Jews. An astonishing amount of talent, training, and knowledge was crowded inside the walls of the ghetto. Under the noses of the Nazis and at great risk, the inmates secretly plotted and established an elaborate schedule of teaching, learning, producing, and performing for both adults and children. They were determined to remind their students that despite the war, despite the drab, cramped surroundings, despite everything—the world was a place of beauty and every individual person could add to it. whats the Central Idea of the passage?

Answer 1

The central idea of the passage focuses on the existence and survival within Theresienstadt, a Nazi prison town during World War Two. Despite the hardships and atrocities.

Step-by-step explanation:

The central idea of the passage from Hana’s Suitcase by Karen Levine concerns the reality of life in Theresienstadt, a wartime ghetto established in the Czech town of Terezin, as researched by a librarian named Fumiko Ishioka. The text divulges the town's transformation into a Jewish ghetto following the Nazi invasion during World War Two. Theresienstadt witnessed the arrival of over 140,000 Jews, including children, who were forced out of their homes. Despite the grim conditions, the passage emphasizes the display of resilience and unity amongst the inhabitants. Not only did this ghetto harbour the horrors of war, but it also exemplified the strength of spirit, as these individuals continued to contribute to the beauty of the world through teachings, social activities and creative pursuits, holding onto their sense of personhood even in the face of strife.

It is further indicated that vast knowledge and talent, including accomplished artists, musicians and intellectuals, resided within the ghetto. This, along with the secretive planning for intellectual and artistic activities, showcased a defiance against their oppressors. Despite the atrocities and mass deportations, there's also a focus on the fostering of hope, solidarity and human dignity during these challenging times.

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