Eilati, Shalom, Crossing the River, 1999 — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

The Holocaust period robbed children of their childhood. We define this period during a normal life as a period that is mostly innocent, full of joy, of love, learning, and the protection of adults. Children in the Holocaust were exposed to other realities: hunger, disease, humiliation, contempt and death. They were deprived of parental and family love, of education, play and hope.

They mostly foresaw the collapse of the world familiar to them and the helplessness of those who had previously been their natural protectors and mediators between them and the world. They were often forced to mature faster than expected and take on heavy responsibilities for their own fate and that of their family. Many of them even had to deal alone with the hardships imposed on them by the war.

In light of this, the question arises whether it is even possible to talk about childhood in the Holocaust? Where did the childhood end and were there places and times where one could find revelations of a childhood with as ordinary characteristics as possible, even if a different childhood?

Other questions that arise are whether children and adults experienced the Holocaust in the same way. Were their experiences and the way they interpreted and viewed their collapsing world the same? Is there anything that characterizes children in the Holocaust differently from adults?

These questions will be examined in this article through Shalom Eilati's book, Crossing the River (Yad Vashem, 1999). This book opens a window into the world of children during the Holocaust. The article will show how this source can be used educationally according to the emotional and cognitive level of the students. Examining these questions through a book of memoirs that focuses on the story of one child and his family integrates well into our educational perception. As part of this perception, we emphasize the person's character during the Holocaust and the importance of using interdisciplinary means in Holocaust education.