Chapter 1: Pages 1-15
1. In Chapter 1, the author Karen Hesse illustrates how poorly the Jews are treated in Berdichev, Russia in the early 1900's. Scan through Chapter 1 and find at least two examples within the text that demonstrate the poor treatment of the Jews. Give page numbers for your text evidence.
2. Why is Rifka used as the decoy or the one to distract the soldiers? Give two examples!
*Reminder: Make sure to end your blog with your initials and number
(example: tfd #11)
Letters From Rifka
By Karen Hesse
28 comments:
1. One example that the Jews are treated badly is in page 7 and 8 soldiers came to Rifka’s house because they saw that her dad was wearing new shoes. They told him to take them off but he didn’t listen so they whipped him until he spit up blood. Another example is on page 6 when Rifka heard two guards saying mean stuff about her family just because there Jews.
2. The first reason she is used is because she looks like a Jew. She has blond hair and blue eyes which not a lot of Jews have. The second reason is that she can talk Russian without even in having a Jewish accent.
CM#16
1. The first example that the Jews in Berdichev, Russia are treated poorly is that on page 6 it stated that whenever a problem came to Russia the blame would fall upon the Jews. Another example that the Jews in Russia were treated poorly is that on page 8 it stated that the soldiers wanted papas boots, and they had the right to get them because papa was a Jew. They would whip papa but papa would refuse to give them. That also proves papa is brave.
2. Rifka was used as a decoy because Russians usually don’t have darker eyes or darker hair like Jews but on page 7 it stated that Rifka didn’t have the dark eyes and hair, she had blonde hair and blue eyes. Rifka looks more like a Russian so her family relied on her to distract the guards. Also Rifka was used as a decoy because on page 8 it stated that Rifka didn’t have a Yiddish accent like other Jews and Uncle Avrum called it Rifkas “Gift” for language. JS#23
1. One example on page 4 is Nathan comes home from the war that he had no choice of going to fight. He said that Saul was going to be taken in to the war. Soldiers only forced Jews into the war not the orthodox which shows that the Jews didn’t have much say in anything. One other example is on page 5, Rifka’s family talks about the Russian peasants who blamed the Jews for everything and would go take the Jews stuff and destroy there houses.
2. Rifka is used for a decoy because Jews usually have dark hair and dark skin but Rifka has light skin blond hair and blue eyes. So if she was used as the decoy the soldiers would mistake her for an orthodox.
S.D.#4
1. One example of the Jews being treated poorly is on page 13. The guard says “That man is only a Jew. Why bother with the troubles of a Jew?” Another example of the Jews being treated poorly is on page 6 it says “The guards spoke ill of us, not because of anything we have done, not because anything we have said. Just because we were Jews.
2. One example that she was used as a decoy and not anyone else is because Russians have light features unlike Jews that have dark features. Rifka was the only Jew in the family that had light features like the Russians. Another example is that she doesn’t have a Yiddish accent.
dmm #15
1. One example of the Jews being treated poorly is on page six it said “that the guards spoke ill of us but not because of anything we had said, or not because if anything we have done. It was because they were Jews”. The second of the Jews being treated poorly “is on page seven it said that sense Nathan had ran away from the army that once they found him that his whole family would have to be killed.”
2. One reason why Rifka was used as a decoy was because she did not have features of a Jew like her family. For example on page nine the guard got distracted by her curly blond hair and blue eyes. Another reason that her family used her as a decoy was because she did not have the accent that Jews had, and she knew how to speak Russian so she could communicate with the guards.
1. Some examples of how the Jews are treated poorly are on page 4 Mama said to Nathan “you should not have come, they will shoot you when you return to the Russian army since you are a Jewish boy.” On page seven and eight in Rifka’s letter she writes to Tovah telling her about the time soldiers came to her house and saw on Papa’s feet a new pair of boots. The soldiers said “ take the boots off.” Papa refused. The soldiers whipped papa but papa still had refused to hand over the boots. They would have killed Papa for those boots but their battalion marched into sight. The soldiers hit Papa once more, hard, so that he spit up blood, but those soldiers left Rifka's house empty handed.
2. Rifka is used as the decoy because on page eight it says "Rifka is the only one in her family who can speak Russian without a Yiddish accent." Also on page eight it says "Rifka has blond curls and blue eyes which are definitely not jewish like." This way she would be able to pass as a Russian peasent.
1. One example of the Jews being treated poorly is on page 13. The guard says “That man is only a Jew. Why bother with the troubles of a Jew?” Another example of the Jews being treated poorly is on page 6 it says “The guards spoke ill of us, not because of anything we have done, not because anything we have said. Just because we were Jews.
2. One example that she was used as a decoy and not anyone else is because Russians have light features unlike Jews that have dark features. Rifka was the only Jew in the family that had light features like the Russians. Another example is that she doesn’t have a Yiddish accent.
dmm #15
1. On page eight, solders come to Rifka’s door and demand Rifkas father to take of his boots and give it to them. When her father refused the solders whipped him on the face. And on page 13 one guard said that they shouldn’t bother with the troubles of a Jew and they should inspect the rest of the train yard.
2. One of the ways Rifka got picked to distract the guards is that she has blond hair and blue eyes and she looks more like a Russian than anyone else in her family. Another way she got picked is that she can speak Russian without a Yiddish accent.
R.M., 14
1. One example of text evidence to show how the Russians treated Jews poorly is on page 7and 8 Rifka explained that soldiers come to her house and saw her father’s feet in his new boots. And the soldiers said “take off your boots!” But he refused to take them off. So the soldiers wiped him, but he still did not hand the boots over. She said they would have killed him if it was not for there leader. My second example is on page 4 she said they were going to kill her brother since he escaped from the war and any how helped.
2.Rifka was used to distract the soldiers because she could talk in a Russian accent and she did not look like a Jew she looked like a Russian.
J.M. 13
1. In Chapter 1, the author Karen Hesse illustrates how poorly the Jews are treated in Berdichev, Russia in the early 1900's. Scan through Chapter 1 and find at least two examples within the text that demonstrate the poor treatment of the Jews. Give page numbers for your text evidence.
2. Why is Rifka used as the decoy or the one to distract the soldiers? Give two examples!
1. One example of how poor the Jews were treated is on page 4 when it says that when a Jewish boy deserts he is killed it doesn’t say that when a Russian boy deserts he is killed. Another example of how poorly the Jews were treated is on pages 8 and 9 it says that soldiers came to their house and they wanted Pap’s boots but he wouldn’t give them the boots so they hit him until he spit blood. My last example is on page 6 when the guards are saying bad things about Nathan just because he’s a Jew.
2. Rifka is used as a decoy because it says on page8 that she has blond hair and blue eyes and that’s a Russian feature. Also on page 8 it says that Rifka can speak Russian without an accent.
mm#17
1. One example on page four is that Jews were forced into the army and if they left they would find them and capture them and be killed in front of the soldiers. Another example on page thirteen a guard said “that man is only a Jew why bother with the troubles of a Jew”.
2. One reason she is used as a decoy is on page 12 she was trying to help Nathan that was in the box car if they found him they would kill him. Another reason is because she didn’t look like a Jew when her family did and is. So the guard’s did not think she was a Jew and got distracted. DG#7 8D
1. Two examples of the poor treatment of the Jews are, on page eight it says papa had a new pair of boots and the Russian soldiers wiped father three times before the saw their battalion marching into sight. Another example of poor treatment of the Jews are, on page five mama says “Rifka do you have room in your bag for the candlesticks?” “the candlesticks” said Rifka” “we either take them or leave them to the greedy peasants. Soon enough they will swoop down on us like vultures to pick our house”. This proves the peasants will take anything of value.
2. Rifka is used as a the decoy to distract the soldiers because she has blond hair, blue eyes and she and she can talk in a Russian ascent. This is why she is used as a decoy, because she looks like a Russian and can talk like a Russian.
AA 1
1.The Jews were treated poorly because on page 6 when Nathan slip away the night before from his regiment . So now the guards from Russia are trying to find Nathan and his family to kill them because Nathan left the army. The example is that the two who looking for them and they said ill things about the family and it was not because of something they did or something they said it was because they were Jews. The next example is on page 13 a guard said “ that man is only a Jew. Why bother with the troubles of a Jew.
2.One example is on page 14 Rifka has blond hair and blue and that looks nothing like a Jew. The next example is on page 14 it said she does not have Yiddish accent.
PP 22
1. One example page 8 it states that the Russian treated the Jews poorly because once the soldiers came to Rifka house and commanded papa to take off his new leather boots. Papa didn’t take off his boots and the soldiers whipped him and would of shot him but there army marched into sight so they didn’t. Another example was on page 6 because it states that the Russian didn’t even know Rifka papa or Nathan or Mama but they still talked poorly of them just because they were Jews not because they did anything or they had said anything. 1. One example page 8 it states that the Russian treated the Jews poorly because once the soldiers came to Rifka house and commanded papa to take off his new leather boots. Papa didn’t take off his boots and the soldiers whipped him and would of shot him but there army marched into sight so they didn’t.
2 Another example was on page 6 because it states that the Russian didn’t even know Rifka papa or Nathan or Mama but they still talked poorly of them just because they were Jews not because they did anything or they had said anything.
ZE#5
1. On page eight Rifka told the story that when her dad got a new pair of boots the solders told him to give back the boots back. The father said no so the solders wiped him but he wouldn’t give the boots back. Rifka said that they would of kill her dad but that the solders battalion was in sight so they they hit him one more time with the wip that he was bleeding out of his mouth but he solders left empty handed. One more example is that on page 10 the solders heard a noise coming from a bush one of the solders lifted his gun and pointed it at the bush that moved and fired. What if that was a Jew so if the solders heard a noise they would easily shoot the Jew. The solders would never shoot a Russian peasant.
2. Rifka is the decoy because most Jews don’t have blond hair or blue eyes. They were usually darker skinned because they are from the Middle East so they used her because she looked like a Russian peasant. They would think the solders would fall for her being the Russian peasant.
Answer for queston#1. On page 4 it says, ”they will shoot you if you return.” Another example is the mayor and other high people would blame the Jews for all the bad things the happened.
Answer for #2 one reason she is used is she has blonde hair and blue eyes. Another is she can speak Russian without a Yiddish accent.
MP#19
1. Two examples that demonstrate the poor treatment of Jews are, on page 4, when Rifka is talking to Tovah, she says that when a Jewish boy deserts the Russian Army, the army tries hard to find him. They bring him back and execute him in front of his regiment as a warning for the other soldiers. Those who help him, also die. Another example is on page 6, the guards were looking for Jews trying to sneak away on the trains. When they were looking, they were talking ill About Rifka’s family, not because anything they had done, not because anything they had said. Just because they were Jews.
2. Two examples that show Rifka had to be used as a decoy for the Russian soldiers are, on page 8, Rifka has to be a decoy because, of my blond curly hair. The next reason is she has blue eyes. The rest of her family couldn’t be a decoy because they have dark features of Jews.
JB#3
1. The first example is on page six when Rifka writes “The guards spoke ill of us, not because of anything we had said. Just because were Jews.” It’s an unfair treating for an unfair cause. It’s like making fun of someone just because there shorter than you. There is no reason for anyone to be treated this way. The next example is on page four when it says “…when a Jewish deserts the Russian Army, the army tries hard to find him. They bring him back to kill him in front of his regiment as a warning to the others. Those who helped him, they also die.”
2. Rifka is used because most Jews are darker skinned because they’re from the Middle East. You see Rifka has blonde hair and lighter skin. Jews also have darker hair. Rifka is also used because she’s the only one that can speak Russian without a Yiddish accent. If she couldn’t speak without that they’d send her back because she’s Jewish. Thankfully they didn’t notice her being Jewish.
lab#2
1) In the book Letters from Rifka, the Jews (people who are Jewish) are treated very poorly by the Russians. One example of how they were treated badly is found on page 4. Printed in black and white the Mother says shortly after Nathen (Rifka’s brother) returns home, “You should not have come, they will shoot you when you return.” So that shows that they (Russians) have no patience for Jews because if a Russian escaped from the army he/she would probably just get disciplined. Another example of how the Jews were treated poorly is found on page 5. After the mother asks Rifka to store her candlesticks, “We either take them, Rifka, or leave them to the greedy peasants. Soon enough they will swoop down like vultures to pick our house bare.” So anther example of how the Russians treated the Jews poorly is that they would break into their homes and pick it bare, or in other words, rob it. These are two examples of how the Russians treated the Jews poorly.
2) In the book Letters from Rifka, Rifka is used as a decoy to distract the soldiers in order for her and her family to succeed in their get away from Russia because she could pass as a Russian. Rifka is able to be the decoy for two reasons. The first reason is because she looks like a Russian. She had two Russian features - blonde hair and blue eyes - but usually Jews had darker features. For example they had darker skin and hair. The second reason she was used as a decoy was because she could speak fluent Russian without an accent which most Jews had. These are the two reasons that Rifka was used as a decoy to distract the soldiers.
J.S. #24
1. Karen Hesse illustrates how poorly the Jews are treated on page thirteen, the guards think that Rifka’s Uncle Avrum needs help but it is really to distract the guards, one of the guards does not want to help because he is “only a Jew”. Another example of how poorly the Jews are treated is on page four Rifka is thinking of how if a Jewish boy deserts the army then they will try hard to find him, then, if they find him, they will shoot him. That is very unfair because they do not do that to anyone who is not a Jew.
2. Rifka is used as a decoy because on page eight it describes how Rifka has blue eyes and blonde hair which Russian people usually have. The rest of her family had dark hair and dark eyes. Another reason why Rifka was used as a decoy was because, on page eight, it tells how she can speak Russian without a Yiddish accent.
C.M.L. 11
1. In chapter 1 on page eight Rifka said that her father was beaten to get his shoes because he was a Jew. Another example is on page thirteen the skinny soldier said “ ”That man is only a Jew. Why bother with the trouble of a Jew" ".
2. Rifka was used as decoy because she had blond hair and blue eyes and she can speak Russian with out a Yiddish accent. this way she wouldn't look like or sound like a Jew which wouldn't give her family away.
By REF #6
1. On page 4 Nathan was in the Russian army and he was a Jewish boy that left the Russian army and Jewish people that would leave the Russian army they would hunt them down and execute them because they were Jewish. My next example on page 6 Rifka said “Why is it, Tovah, that in Russia, no matter what the trouble, the blame always falls upon Jews?”
2. Rifka is used as a decoy because on page 4 it says that Nathan left the Russian army and sense Nathan was Jewish they had to hunt him down and execute Nathan. My next example is that on page 8 it says that Rifka asked Tovah “Why did I get this gift.” The gift was that she’s Jewish and she has blond hair and blue eyes.
jrn #18
1. One reason that the Jews get treated poorly is on page six because it says ‘’no matter what the trouble, the blame always falls upon the Jews. Another example is on page seven it says ‘’ the guards looked at her blond curls and her blue eyes, the guards thought that was weird but the guards sill inspected Rifka. That shows the evidence.
2. One way that Rifka is used as a decoy is because it says on page two the boys, Mama, and Papa must hide before light.
Another reason Rifka is used as a decoy because Nathan can’t get caught and the Russian’s will kill him because Nathan left the Russian army.
ch #8
1. One example of how Jews are treated badly in Russia is on pg.6 when the guards are insulting her family, Rifka writes, “Why is it, Tovah, that that in Russia, no matter what the trouble is, the blame always falls upon the Jews?” another example of the Jews being treated badly is on pg.8 when Rifka is thinking about how brave her father is, she flashes back on the time when her father got new boots and the soldiers told him to take them off, and when he refused, the soldiers whipped him until he coughed up blood, but they left the house without boots. This shows that the Jews are treated poorly b/c they are insulted, blamed, and whipped just because they are Jews.
2. Rifka is used as a decoy for they soldiers b/c she has blond hair and blue eyes like a Russian, but the rest of her family has dark hair and dark eyes. She can speak Russian without a Yiddish accent. this way, she can pass as a Russian and the guards won’t be suspicious.
1. One example is on pg.#6 when the guards were talking ill of Nathan and his family just because they were Jews. Another example is when Rifka was thinking about the time her father refused to give the guards anything on pg.#8 and how they whipped him but he would still not give them anything.
2. Rifka is used as a decoy to distract the soldiers because she was the only one the guards wouldn’t suspect of doing anything wrong. She was also chosen because she was small and no one would probably harm her so she was chosen to keep the guards away from her family.
JL#12
1. On page 28 Karen Hesse uses a metaphor describes the girl who is stealing Rifka’s food as a squirrel with her red cheeks swollen. On page 31 she says that Rifka’s older brother, Saul, is as big as a horse. And on page 32 it she says that Rifka looked as short and round as a barrel.
2. One symptom of Typhus is that her head and other parts of your body start to ach. Another symptom is she started to fall a sleep a lot and didn’t wake up for a while. And another symptom is that got a rash that spreads under your arm pits and on to your stomach.
3. The reason why she said that Russia was better for Tovah and her family is because Tovah’s family had power and weren’t poor. While Rifka and her family don’t have any power, are poor and are treated poorly by the Christians.
4. Rifka thinks that Saul has changed by being more mature than he was before. For example Saul got a job so both of them could eat. When he got the food he split it equally in half so they could both have the same amount and Saul didn’t take more for him self.
R.M. 14
1. In the pages 17-32 there are many author craft techniques used by Karen Hesse. Name three different types of author craft and give examples with page numbers.
2. What are some of the symptoms of typhus?
3. Why did Rifka write that Russia was not as bad for Tovah’s family as it was for her family? How can one place be different for different people?
4. Rifka lived with Saul when her parents were in the hospital. How did her feelings about Saul change?
Answers:#1. One example of an author craft is on pg.#17, I thought of the things the Russians have taken from my family as I stood in the train yard. Another example of an author craft is on pg.#21 when the author used a simile, By the time e arrived in Motziv my head pounded and my body hurt as if the train had run me over. Another author craft the author used is Hyperbole on pg.#27, my stomach twists and turns with emptiness.
Answers:#2. Some symptoms of Typhus are Chills, High Fever, Muscle aches, and Severe Headache.
Answers:#3. Rifka wrote that Russia was not as bad for Tovah’s family because Tovah’s family was wealthy and it wouldn’t be as bad for tovah’s family. One place can be different for other people, for example probilly India is different for different people because if you go to India and your rich it would be different if you were poor.
Answers:#4. I think Rifka’s feeling about Saul changed by, for example before everybody got sick Rifka didn’t like Saul that much but when her mom and dad were in the hospital she tried to save some food for Saul for wjen he got back from work.
JCL
1. Rifka’s mother does not want her to read Pushkin because at that time girls did not usually go to school or get an education, they learned to be a housewife.
2. Rifka cannot go back to Berdichev because on page 49 it says
I said, “If I can’t go to America, please send me back to Berdichev.” Papa said, “Rifka, the Russians are angry at our family in Berdichev. We have cheated them of five strong boys””. This shows that Rifka would probably get in trouble with the government, also if she went back to Berdichev she would have no where to live.
3. Warsaw, Poland is different from Berdichev, Russia because on page 47 it says, “The lady said the HIAS has workers all over the world. I wonder why we haven’t met any in Berdichev.”, this shows that there are no HIAS workers in Berdichev, that is a difference between Warsaw and Berdichev . Another difference between Berdichev and Warsaw is on page 44 and 45 it talks about how they don’t have street vendors in Berdichev, but in Warsaw they did.
4. I think Karen Hesse wrote the scene about the oranges to show that Rifka is naive. Her family is soon going to leave and the author is trying to show that she will not be able to stay alone.
C.M.L #11!
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