Buna Ziua from Alabama!

 Hello to all of you!

I am sure you have heard the story by now of how this blog came about. I have visited Targu Lapus twice; the last time in 2018. Ms. Ciupe and I met in 2016 and have been friends since then. We also have worked together on teaching about the Holocaust. 

I am so excited that you are reading Determined to Survive. This story about Max Steinmetz, a Holocaust survivor from your town, is very dear to my heart. Max died in 2021 and it is my goal to always tell his story. He was "Determined to Survive." I am "Determined to Remember."

I would love to know your thoughts on the book so far. I have 2 questions for you.

1. What are 2 things you have learned so far?

2. What are 2 questions you have about this story?

I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Hello Again From Birmingham, AL!

Hi Everyone,
It has been awhile since we have been in touch. I know most of you and really enjoyed our discussions last semester. I especially enjoyed our Skype session with Max. I have new students this semester, so would you take the time to introduce yourself to them? They will also be introducing themselves to you. Ms. Ciupe and I have talked and we would like to do a few different things this time around. Stay tuned... :)

Amy McD

A New Year!

Hello!
I hope your new year is off to a wonderful start. I hear that there has been a lot of snow there! We have not had any snow here yet. Thank you for all of your responses to the questions. I appreciate the time you put into your responses and your honesty.

I have all new students this semester. So that we don't repeat what we did last semester, I have a question for you. Is there anything specific you would like to study together? I would love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

One more thing... January 27 is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On January 27, 1945, Russian troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau.  My classes will be doing an activity on Monday, January 28 in memory of this. I would love for all of us to somehow commemorate this together. Any ideas?

I'm looking forward to our time together this semester.

Ms McDonald

Skyping with Max

Hi Everyone!!
I am so sorry I haven't posted anything before now. We are getting ready for final exams here. I can't begin to tell you how amazing it was to Skype with all of you! My students enjoyed it so much. And Max... he is still talking about it. :) It meant so much to him for all of you to go to the effort to come back to school to talk with him.

To wrap up our project this semester, my students answered the following questions. Ms. Ciupe and I would also like for you to answer them. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.

1. Are there "wrongs" or injustices associated with where you live, or in your state or country as a whole? Include past and present.

2. Can we ever undo or fix the wrongs of the past? Explain your thoughts.

3. Is there a point in continuing to study things like the Civil Rights Movement or the Holocaust? Explain your thoughts.

4. What parallels or lessons can we take from these time periods and apply to today?

5. What is your vision for the kind of world in which you would like to live?

6. What responsibility do you have for bringing about that kind of world?

It's All Relevant... Here and Now.

So far we have been taking things pretty slowly with the communication and readings. We are all very busy with school, activities, life, right? And besides, do you ever wonder what the point is of reading history? Seriously, don't we sometimes get tired of looking back at the past? Do you ever ask yourself how this is going to apply in real life?

I have to be honest and say that I am writing this post with a very heavy heart... especially after this past week. Things seem to have taken on a new urgency. In our time together, we are focusing on the Civil Rights Movement and the Holocaust. This is troubling, dark, heartbreaking history. 

Take the time to read this article from CNN. Look at the pictures. Share your thoughts. Ask your questions. I think we are all asking questions right now.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/28/us/72-hours-of-hate-in-america/index.html

Thoughts from Reading

Choose a phrase or sentence from each of the following readings that stood out to you: Letter From Birmingham Jail, I Have a Dream, Interview with John Lewis.
Explain why they impacted you.

Documentary Link

Please watch this documentary on the Civil Rights Movement called A Time for Justice. It is excellent and will add to our discussion.

https://youtu.be/VFv8ok1GekE

Shared Lesson - Civil Rights Movement

We are about to begin a study together of the Civil Rights Movement and the Holocaust... two very different topics and periods of history. Our goals will be not only to learn historical background and knowledge, but to analyze and think about the complex choices and decisions that individuals, groups, and societies made.

Students in Alabama are often very familiar with studying the Civil Rights Movement. It is engrained in Alabama's history. In fact, Birmingham was often referred to as one of the most racist cities in America. It was given the nickname, "Bombingham", because of the violence here.

Our first assignment involves two leaders of the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960s - Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis. We will be reading and discussing specific writings, speeches, or interviews. There will also be a few questions from these writings. Please do your best and put thought and effort into your responses. We will use these as topics for discussion.

Please read the excerpts on Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lewis. (They aren't long. :) ) For some reason, I can't upload a document to the blog. Ms. Ciupe has the document, which she will email to you.  Can't wait to hear your responses!

Question of the Week

Hi,
To promote discussion and questions, I will post a question of the week. Can't wait to hear all of your responses. We will also tell you about our hometown.

Tell us about your hometown. If we came to visit you, where in your hometown would you take us?
What would you show us? If possible, include a picture or two.

Hello From Shades Valley High School!

Hi,
This is a photo of my 3rd block Holocaust Studies class. A photo of another class will be coming soon. Please send us pictures of you at your school. And keep the questions coming!

Pretty soon, we will start working together on lessons about the Civil Rights Movement and the Holocaust. Stay tuned.

A Few Questions for Petru Rares Students!

Hello!
Hope all of you are doing well. We came up with a few questions for you and can't wait to hear your responses. We will also be waiting for any questions you want to ask us.

-  How many classes do you take per day at school?
-  What time does school start and end?
-  What are your school rules like? List some examples of rules.
-  How many students are at your school?
-  Does your school have sports teams?

-  What is the weather like where you live?
-  What kind of music is popular there?
-  Do you listen to music in English?
-  What is the most popular holiday?
-  What do teenagers there do for fun or in their free time?
-  What is the population of your town?
-  Do you play video games? Which ones?

Let's Introduce Ourselves!

Hi,
Ms. Ciupe and I are both very excited about having our students work together again this year! Our goal is to connect our students with each other, learn about each other's schools and cultures, study some really interesting and complicated history together, and end up with an awesome project!

But before all that, let's introduce ourselves. Let's start by telling our name, age, and year in school. Feel free to add a picture! :)  I'll go first...

My name is Amy McDonald. You don't need to know my age. ha! I teach US History and Holocaust Studies at Shades Valley High School in Birmingham, Alabama.

Welcome Back to School!

Hi!
I hope all of you had a wonderful summer and are ready for a great school year! I'm excited about hearing from all of you and introducing you to my students!

Something Fun! :)

Hi,
Since many of you asked about lockers, I finally remembered to send you pictures. :)

A Very Special Message to Petru Rares High School!

A few days after I returned from Targu Lapus, I visited with Max and gave him your cards, gifts, and well wishes. I also showed him many pictures and the video from the Holocaust memorial ceremony. This video clip shows highlights of my visit with him.

Missing You!

Hello to all of my friends at Petru Rares! I miss all of you SO much!! I got back home late Saturday night, so I am back at school getting ready for exams. I will never be able to thank all of you enough for the kindness you showed me while I was there. I will always remember our special time together. I also want you to know that I will be visiting with Max tomorrow (Thursday) after school. I told him that I had some gifts and messages from you and he is so excited! I will send you a video clip, so stay tuned! If you have any messages or thoughts, PLEASE leave a comment. I'm looking forward to hearing back from you.

P.S. I will also be posting a picture of our lockers very soon. :)

A Great Day at Petru Rares High School!

I had an incredible day with students and teachers at Petru Rares High School in Targu Lapus, Romania. We talked about the Holocaust and the life of Max Steinmetz. To my students at Shades Valley, leave a message below with a comment or question you would like me to ask a Romanian student or teacher. Or, you could just leave me a message about how much you miss me. :)

Can't Wait to Meet All of You!

To Students in Targu Lapus,
I am really looking forward to visiting your town again VERY soon! I am posting a few pictures of my students. All of us at Shades Valley High School are excited about connecting with and learning with all of you. Please feel free to comment and introduce yourself.

For Students in Targu Lapus

Hi,

This is a short video of Holocaust survivor, Max Steinmetz, reading the names of his parents, brother, and sister. All of them were born and lived in Targu Lapus, Romania. Max is the only one from his family who survived the Holocaust.

More Discussion

Hello Everybody,
Thanks to everyone who has shared their thoughts so far. Your comments are very insightful. Here are a few more questions to discuss together:

1.  When Max and his family were rounded up in the ghetto and put on trains, they were taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau. What went through your mind as you read what happened to him and his family?
2.  Had you already heard of Auschwitz-Birkenau? Tell me what you already knew about this place.

To students in Targu Lapus:
1. We talked about what happened to the Jews in Reghin. The Jews in Targu Lapus were sent to Dej, where there was also a ghetto. From there, they were also sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Have you ever heard about this?
2.  I am very curious about the differences in the ways WWII and the Holocaust are taught in each of our countries. Students in the US usually learn about these topics in English and History classes in middle school and high school. Tell me more about how you learned or were taught about the Holocaust.