Running From the Enemy: a Holocaust Survivor's Story by Sam Schloss- 7B English - Mrs. Sarah Blum

This morning, the 7th grade boys had the unique opportunity to read a poignant excerpt from Running From the Enemy: a Holocaust Survivor's Story by Sam Schloss, Eli's grandfather. The students worked diligently in pairs, doing a close reading of the text for understanding. Through discussion, we realized that many of the topics and themes in Mr. Schloss' writing are similar to the topics and themes in the story we read last week called "A Chicken for the Holidays" by Bernard Gotfryd. We noted that the concepts of pervasive fear, not knowing what would happen next, and the generosity of Righteous Gentiles appear in both stories. In addition, the environment in both stories set the tone: it was raining and cold and dark and gunshots are heard in both. The students expressed how fortunate we are to have these first hand accounts from the Holocaust and how it is our responsibility to continue sharing these stories so that "we never forget." It was very meaningful to be reading about our friend's grandfather's experience, and we thank Eli so much for sharing his family's story.