« Educational materials

Magda H. László: Keepsake Album from the 20th Century

Questions and assignments for individual and class work of Magda H. László’s Keepsake Album from the 20th century

The Keepsake Album

1. Find the places, mentioned in the text, on the map.

2. Consider the possible events and emotions hiding behind the following sentences: 'She had a lot of other things with her as well, but that's the only thing she gave me back. But perhaps that book made me happier than anything else could.'

Family

3. Find Felvidék on the map and decide where it belongs today.

4. Check the ethnic groups and nationalities that used to – and still - live together in Felvidék.

5. What is the attitude behind the fact that the author's father studied at the Piarists'?

6. What is the 'crash' mentioned in the text?

7. What was the 'Commune'?

8. What does the fact that the school ' building was left to the Jewish community by a Christian craftsman' tell you about the co-existence of members of the local community with different religious beliefs ?

9. What do you conclude from the fact that boys and girls played separately?

10. What is your conclusion about the structure of the Szentendre community knowing that Jewish and non-Jewish children attended the school alike?

11.What does the expression one-room school mean?

12. Check what Sonderkommando was, what role they played and what fate they had.

13.What holiday is Chanukka? What is celebrated? Check what historical event is remembered and what are the customs of the holiday.

14. Why do you think the author writes that she could become a doctor?

15. Check what was the family structure of a traditional Jewish community before World War II. Why do you think there were few children in Jewish families in Szentendre?

16. What does „Swabian” mean? Who were they?

17.Think about what the writing tells us about the co-existence of different religious and ethnic groups.

18. What does „ kashrut ” mean? Check the major characteristics of keeping a kosher household.

19. What did they need a separate 'Easter' set of crockery for Grandmother's visit? What did they really celebrate then?

20. Who is a shames ? Check where the origin the word comes from.

21. Why is there a separate section for men and women in the synagogue? Which religious directions are characterized by that?

22. See to it and enlist the different directions of Jewish religion nowadays and in the past.

23. Which Jewish holiday does 'Seder' night belong to? Find out the routine of Seder dinner.

24. What is a broche ?

25. When and how do you think „fascist times” started?

26. What attitude does the behavior of the neighbor Pál Kovács reveal?

27. How would you compare this behavior with that of the army officer that moved to the street?

28. The relation between Magda and her mates changed with the introduction of the yellow star. What do you think was the reason for this change?

29.Compare the behavior of the people in this passage (the counsel at the Foreign Ministry, the army officer, the classmates, the policeman ). How did their behavior change with the strengthening of the persecutions of the Jews?

30. What was the C lager?

31. What does the term " blokova” mean? What was their job in Auschwitz ?

32.What happened in Trianon? What consequences did it have in the lives of individual families?

33.What conclusion can you draw from the fact that the teacher of the Jewish school teaches the children patriotic poems?

34. How can you explain the author's words about why she did not leave the country?

35. What were the anti-Jewish laws? When did they come to force and what conclusions did they have?

36. What happened on March 19?

37.„ We were only allowed to walk by the wall.” What does this sentence tell you about humiliation, intimidation?

38. Who were the gendarmes? What was their role in the deportation of Hungarian Jews?

39.Who was Miklós Horthy?

40.Check what policy Miklós Horthy followed during World War II.

41. „Horthy had already stopped the deportations” What does that mean?

42. Where is Kratzau?

43. Check where people were taken by transport from Auschwitz . What could their fate be there?

44. What was the revier in the lager? Who got there ?