Erna Goldmann takes us back into interwar Germany, where she grew up and met her first boyfriend at a Zionist youth club. But with the rise of National Socialism, life for Jews in Germany became ever more difficult, so her family had to decide whether to stay in Frankfurt or emigrate. Erna and her mother left for Palestine, while her grandfather decided to stay...
Study Guides
FRANKFURT
In the introductory part of the film, we learn that between 1462-1796, Jews in Frankfurt lived mainly in the Judengasse, the Jewish ghetto. For a general overview of the History of Jews in Frankfurt, as well as more information about the historical Jewish Quarter, read this article by the Jewish Virtual Library.
PREWAR GERMANY
After WWI, a federal republic was established in Germany. It was known as the Weimar Republic and was in effect from 1919-1933. The creation of the German republic was announced from the Reichstag balcony on 9 November 1918 by Philipp Scheidemann. Listen to original audio tapes documenting the proclamation of the German Republic.
GERMAN JEWRY
The Jewish Virtual Library provides an in-depth description about German Jewish life in the Middle Ages, the Modern Period, the Holocaust and post- Holocaust period up until the present.
EMIGRATION/MIGRATION
In Europe:
Erna tells the story of Moshe Goldmann's father, Adolf Goldmann, who emigrated from Poland to Dessau. He was not the only one to undertake this journey: during the 19th century, there was a constant stream of Jewish families emigrating from Eastern Europe. Read this article about this "Mass migration from Eastern Europe and 'Metropolisation.'"
PALESTINE/ISRAEL
From 1918-1947, Palestine was under British rule. To find out more, read this article about The British Mandate in Palestine provided by the Middle East Research and Information Project and go through this timeline of British rule in Palestine.
To learn more about the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, "Yad Va-shem," you can visit their website.