Dear Ann,

​Thank you for sending me a copy of Together. My feeling about the book was that it presented two themes artfully constructed to enrich potential readers. It is, at first, a fascinating story that takes a reader inside an already wounded family toiling through horrific difficulty in the pursuit of life itself.  There is no room for partial success. Their task is focused on an all or nothing outcome.

​Secondly, Together: A Journey for Survival is a primer on character education. Readers cannot overlook the power of commitment, the lessons on dealing with fear, and the examples of good behavior exhibited by strangers or neighbors that risk their own safety to enable potential victims to escape degradation and death. These deep issues force readers to ask themselves if they could endure a struggle or whether they might support another person in a life or death battle. This second angle makes the book valuable for teachers to use and beneficial for students to read at the high school level.

​As in many books centered upon careful research seeking honest answers, the epilogue validates the undertaking and provides readers with hope for a civilized future.

​Sincerely

​Larry

Lawrence M. Glaser

Executive Director, New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education

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When first given the assignment of teaching 5th and 6th grade Social Studies I knew that I needed to make the content of the Holocaust relatable. I needed to used the memoir to have my students connect to content of almost a century ago. I chose; Together, A Journey for Survival as it fit my classes best.

The Schonwetter's became the family we are rooting for every day in class. They were our friends, and ultimately the victors of oppression. I would be unable to have the dialogue in class had I not used Together. We discussed so much more than history, we spoke at length about the content of our own character, and the bravery Sala and Manek displayed daily. We had to ask ourselves if we would ultimately be able to make such heroic choices.

 

One of my students said it best when he said:

 

 "I had no idea how much history we were learning, it crept in because we wanted to see Manek and his family safe." -VS

 

- Meghan McNamara, South Street School, Newark, NJ

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To whom it may concern,

By the time Mrs. Arnold visited SPHS, my students had been reading, discussing, and analyzing the book. They also created HOTQs (high order thinking questions), which they utilized during their interaction with our guests.

 

There are no words to describe the tremendous life-changing experience this meaningful engagement provided for my students. Mrs. Arnold and Mr. Schonwetter were amazingly prepared to interact with the students. Mrs. Arnold kept them actively engaged for the entire duration of the visit, which took place on Feb. 16, 2017. It was easy to see that these teens were immersed in the stories they heard from our speakers; they were definitely absorbing the momentum as they eagerly pose their meaningful questions.

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I am grateful for the empowering opportunity this visit granted to my students because they were really moved by the true story of survival, resilience, love, and bravery from Mr. Schonwetter. The next day we had a class discussion about it and their responses were overtaking, one student said, “I have to treasure my family and spend quality of time with them” another student said, “I have to live life to the fullest now that I have the chance.” For all the great reasons mentioned above, I am honored to recommend Mrs. Arnold and her father to interact with students/children at any learning setting. Mrs. Arnold has an excellent attitude and she surely has the students’ best interest at heart. I strongly believe that she is a great asset for any setting conducive for learning because at the end of the day students walk away with a life-changing experience. When one of my students asked her: “what do expect to get out of your book? Her earnest message was: to be respectful, be active learners, and productive members of society, people who stand up to always do the right thing like the people who helped her family during the Holocaust.

 

Yours truly,

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Ana Serro

History Teacher at SPHS

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Click here to read Beth Moroney's review and recommendation  (Please note you will have to sign into the website to view the article) - Beth Moroney, former English teacher and administrator in the Edison Public School District, specialized in teaching Creative Writing and Journalism.  Moroney is known for recommending literature to students, teachers, parents, and the general public for over forty years.

 

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