Video summary
Suzanne Ripton鈥檚 story of living in hiding, as a Jewish child in Nazi-occupied France.
Suzanne recounts the terrifying experience of Nazi occupation of Paris in 1940, her sudden separation from her parents, and what life was like for a Jewish child living in hiding during the Second World War.
When Jewish people were being rounded-up in Paris during the occupation, Suzanne describes how her parents鈥 door was smashed with an axe, and how their brave neighbour - Madam Colombe, raced in claiming Suzanne to be her daughter, which more than likely saved her life.
For the next few years Suzanne was passed from hiding place to hiding place where she was forced to work hard on a farm, live with goats and become self-sufficient to survive.
She did not know of the war鈥檚 end in 1945 and was still in 鈥榟iding鈥 in 1947. Years later, Suzanne found out that both of her parents were killed at Auschwitz.
PLEASE NOTE: This short film contains disturbing scenes. Teacher review is recommended prior to use in class.
Teacher Notes
Discuss with your class how people risked and braved punishment to help Jewish children and families during the Holocaust.
Pupils could look further into 鈥淗idden Children鈥 during WWII and tie in with one of the most famous examples 鈥 Anne Frank.
This short film could also make for good ground to debate moral decision-making 鈥 were people right to risk their own and victims鈥 lives?
This topic appears in history at KS3 and KS4 / GCSE in AQA, OCR A, OCR B, EDEXCEL, EDUQAS and WJEC GCSE in England and Wales and CCEA GCSE in Northern Ireland.
It is also on the curriculum for 2nd, 3rd and 4th Level, National 4 and 5, and Higher in Scotland. It also appears in modern studies / PSHE / PDE at KS3 and KS4.
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