Hester with family 1200x200

Image: Hester Kool as a young teenager with the children she cared for while in hiding. Hester went into hiding with the van Westering family, where she stayed for more than two years. 1945, Netherlands. "The van Westering family had three children, and my duties involved taking care of them and cleaning the house. I was not alowed to leave the house. I ate alone and slept ina room int he attic. I was very lonely." More about Hester Kool. 

Article - Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust

When World War II ended in 1945, six million European Jews were dead, killed in the Holocaust. About 1.5 million of the victims were children. Some children survived, however, because they were hidden. With identities disguised, and often physically concealed from the outside world, these youngsters had faced constant fear, dilemmas, and danger. Critical thinking questions are provided at the end of the article. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.  Read More

 

Dilemmas of Hidden Children

60 minute lesson by Echoes and Reflections. Students will watch video testimonies of three survivors that were in hiding and will reflect and respond to discussion questions.  Explore Lesson - Scroll to the bottom of THIS PAGE; it is the third of the three lessons. 

 

Hidden Children - Testimonies from Local Holocaust Survivors

Explore the stories & watch video testimoniy of local Holocaust survivors who were hidden as children and describe their experiences and challenges.