Just when rifkas troubles should be over she finds herself facing new hardships. This comprehensive lesson plan includes 30 daily lessons, 180 multiple choice questions, 20 essay questions, 20 fun activities, and more everything you need to teach letters from rifka. Letters from rifka by karen hesse in chm, epub, fb2 download ebook. Beginning in russia in 1919, this epistolary novel, based on experiences of the authors greataunt, tells how 12yearold rifka nebrot and her family fled the antisemitism of postrevolutionary russia and emigrated to the us. You have been a big sister and a best friend to me. Its important to lay some background knowledge early by posing these prereading questions. Also my grandparents were apart of this period in history and lived through many of the hardships described in this book. Experiencing the letters rifka wrote to her cousin, tovah, allowed me to experience a sense of kinship.
Rifkas mother talk to her about how it has been in america. It features a jewish familys emigration from russia in 1919, to belgium and ultimately to the u. There are a couple parts that i did have to skip they talk about undressing in front of the soldiers, pretty descriptive but a great depiction of what life was like for a jewish girl trying to come to america. She knew what it was like to miss her home and all she knew, just like i was. Because she has no spare paper, she uses the blank spaces of the book to write letters to a cousin who remains. Pieter made a todo about the number of languages rifka could speak. Introduction this study guide aims to provide material to help in the preparation of a lesson, unit, or bookclub discussion about the novel letters from rifka by karen hesse. The letters, each prefaced by a few telling lines of pushkin, tell of the fear, indignities, privation, and disease endured as they traveled through poland and into. As rifka was walking around with the small boy he got lost and began playing with toilet paper. In this excerpt from letters from rifka, a jewish family begins their escape from russia after the turmoil of. The soldiers came to the boxcars to search for nathan, and rifka distracted them.
Rifka writes letters in the margins of a book of pushkin to a cousin still in russia, telling of her loneliness, fear and determination to join her family. Persecuted in russia by the soldiers and others who dislike jews, rifka s family makes their way across russia to poland and the u. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form of letters to tovah. A youth in nazi germany tells the truth about hitler. This book waas very interesting and flowed easly as letters. As an adult, reading this book to my children was one of the most nostalgic experiences i think i have ever had.
Persecuted in russia by the soldiers and others who dislike jews, rifkas family makes their way across russia to poland and the. Rifka also shows her mother about the boy who looks at rifka as a mother. Praise for letters from rifka hesses vivacious tale colorfully and convincingly refreshes the immigrant experience. Because she has no spare paper, she uses the blank spaces of the book to write. Stronghearted and determined, rifka must endure a great deal.
Rifkas family quickly packed up their things and left. Rifka s mother talk to her about how it has been in america. Choose from 190 different sets of language arts letters rifka flashcards on quizlet. Paper background, background vintage, textured background, vintage. Read with a group group members read an agreedupon number of pages, complete the corresponding student journal pages, and meet to discuss. The thrilling novel letters from rifka includes content some students may struggle to understand.
Students research their own familys migration to america or another country. I know this letter can never reach you, but in writing to you, i feel less frightened. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form of letters to her. We plan to read letters from rifka and meet on these dates. To ask other readers questions about letters from rifka, please sign up. See more ideas about lettering, teaching and novels. I cannot bear to think of never talking to you again. Always, to help her, she has the book of pushkin poems that her beloved cousin tovah gave her. Karen hesse is the author of many books for young people, including out of the dust, winner of the newbery medal, brooklyn bridge, phoenix rising, sable and lavender. Letters from rifka is a childrens historical novel by karen hesse, published by holt in 1992. Setting letters from rifkabook project by anna dayton.
Along the way she faces many obstacles and the only way she feels comfort is when she writes in a book called pushkin, that her cousin gave her. She has received honors including the scott odell historical fiction award, the christopher award, and the macarthur fellowship genius award, making her only the second childrens book author to receive this. It is 1919 and rifka s brother nathan has deserted the russian army. Throughout her journey, rifka carries with her a cherished volume of poetry by alexander pushkin. The time peroid for the story was during the 1920s, the setting occured in various places. Her family decided to leave russia and take a train to poland where they got sick with typhus and were stuck there for weeks. Rifka knows nothing about america when she flees from russia with her family in 1919. The entire book consists of letters that rifka wrote to her cousin tovah, detailing the. This puts the family at great risk, so to protect themselves, twelveyearold rifka. Because she has no spare paper, she uses the blank spaces of the book to write letters to a cousin who remains in the motherland. But she dreams that in the new country she will at last be safe from the russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the jews. I want to have a copy of this book to keep and read for years to come and then to pass on to newer readers. Letters from rifka plot summary letters from rifka is a story about a jewish girl that escapes to america because her brothers are wanted by the german army. This book is an indepth look at a 12 year old girls struggle to get to.
Twenty years ago i was in third grade reading my first karen hesse book, letters from rifka. It is 1919 and rifkas brother nathan has deserted the russian army. Occasionally, when i grab a banana, i remember rifka laughing about how people on the island used bananas to tell if someone was a new immigrant. But she dreams she will at last be safe from the russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the jews in the new country. Learn language arts letters rifka with free interactive flashcards. They chose rifka because she could speak russian and she had light hair and blue eyes. Letters from rifka detail questions flashcards quizlet. She carries with her a lone beloved volume of poems by pushkin. Rifka takes a risky journey all the way to america.
I remember being so fascinated by rifkas story i still think back to it today. Plot summary letters from rifkabook project by anna dayton. Free letters from rifka worksheets and literature unit for. Rifka yells at the boy because in russia using paper when not necessary is a crime. Rifkas compelling story, relating her burgeoning maturity and ability to cope with her situation, is presented in letter format. Rifkas family hid in the trains boxcars, and rifka had to distract the soldiers. Indeed it is within the pages of this beloved volume that rifka writes letters to tovah, letters describing her experiences and her feelings.
However, rifka encounters many difficulties along the way. Explain to the students that they will be reading the book letters from rifka. Karen hesse lives in williamsville, vermont, with her husband, randy, and her daughters, kate and rachel. In the book, rifka describe her father as the bravest man she has ever known. They have a dangerous escape, and meet some unpleasant people along the way. She tells her that in america it is not against the law to waste. The story letters from rifka is about a jewish family who has decided to leave russia to go to america. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws.
Letters from rifka is a short childrens novel narrated by a 12 year old jewish girl fleeing russia in 1919. The purchase of this book entitles an individual teacher to reproduce pages for. Twelveyearold rifka tells her story through a series of letters written to her cousin tovah. The power of pushkins poetry in karen hesses letters from rifka. Rifka freaks out and when she finds him she yells at him and tells him that his going to get them in trouble.
Rifka and her jewish family have fled russia for america in 1919. When garnet finds a silver thimble in the sand by the river, she is sure its magical. Karen hesse calls letters from rifka a gift to my grandparents and to my heritage, and to people like rifka who have made the passage between two worlds. I chose this book because world war two era is very fascinating tome. Ms hesse is also the author of wish on a unicorn and the forthcoming lesters dog and lavender. This book is an indepth look at a 12 year old girls struggle to get to america from russia. We are studying ellis island so this pairs with it. What does the little girl on the train talk to rifka about. Letters from rifka through the looking glass childrens. Terms in this set 54 what gift did tovah give rifka in berdichev. Bartoletti has taken one episode from her newbery honor book, hitler youth, and fleshed it out into a full novel. Letters from rifka ebook by karen hesse 97814668025.
I hope you do not mind that i am writing in your book, tovah, but i have no other paper. Studying this novel expands the exploration of the value tikvah, hope, the theme of the shevat 5764 issue of babaganewz. Kate kerrigan talks about her tv book club summer read, ellis island. This puts the family at great risk, so to protect themselves, twelveyearold rifka and her family flee russia for america in the hope of a better life. Letters from rifka is the story of a young russianjewish girl and her family who leave their homeland in 1919 to travel to america. String, paper, writing utensils, tape, display surface, event strips. Science for kids blood cardiovascular system body parts experiments for kids operation ouch duration. The power of pushkins poetry in karen hesses letters. Comprehension by chapter, vocabulary challenges, creative reading response activities and projects, tests, and much more. Rifka tells her mom about hows she been while in belgium. In letters to her cousin, a young jewish girl chronicles her familys flight from russia in 1919 and her own experiences when she must be left in belgium for a. Pj our way offers free, monthly jewish chapter books to kids 911 years of age.
Free letters from rifka study unit worksheets for teachers to print. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Sections date we will finish reading date we will discuss 1. Rifka makes the difficult journey from the ukraine to america and records the adventure, as well as her solo journey to rejoin her family after being separated from them, in a series of letters. Read the book form the group that will read letters from rifka. Her family had to flee russia so her brothers would not be killed because they fled their regiment in the russian armed services. Twelveyearold rifkas journey from a jewish community in the ukraine to ellis island is anything but smooth sailing. Pink and mint race paragraph bulletin board with paper flowers.
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