members of the International Brigades at the moment when the
Republic was defeated? What do you think you would have done, if
you had been in their place? What options existed for them?
3. After discussing student reactions to the above question, transition to a series
of readings from the ALBA website
Jewish Spanish Civil War Veterans during World War II
Spanish Civil War Veterans after World War II
As students read these selections, have them consider the following questions:
What factors influenced the decisions made by members of the
International Brigades?
What risks did they face?
In what ways were the choices the faced complicated by their own
identity, either as defined politically, religiously, or culturally?
4. Divide students into pairs or small groups, and assign them the following
individuals to focus upon within
Jewish Spanish Civil War Veterans during
World War II
and
Spanish Civil War Veterans after World War II.
David
Szmulewski
Leon Pakin
Sevek Kirschenbaum
Marcel Langer
Joseph Epstein
Simone Bronstein
Olga Bancic
Sarah Kowalski
Sarah Vronsky-Rozenblu
Henryk Torunczyk
Pinkus KartinBernard Volkas
Abe Osheroff
Al Tanz
Lou Gordon
Morris Cohen
Jack Lucid
Yaakov Shmushkevitch
Grigori Stern
Arthur London
5. For additional information about some of the above individuals, students are also
encouraged to visit the archives of
The Volunteer
, and search the database for
references to these names. Advise students that not all of the above names can
be located in these archives, and that some are only referenced in longer articles.
