Eva Kuper: A Beacon of Light

• 14+
• 3 class periods

Eva Kuper was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1940. After Eva’s mother was deported from the Warsaw ghetto, Eva’s father escaped with his young daughter. A family friend arranged safe places for Eva to hide until the end of the war, including at a convent run by Catholic nuns. Eva was reunited with her surviving family members after the war, and in 1949 she immigrated to Canada with her father and stepmother. Eva lives in Montreal.

Eva Kuper’s memoir, A Beacon of Light, was published in an anthology of women’s stories of the Holocaust titled Before All Memory is Lost: Women’s Voices from the Holocaust. To support student engagement with Eva’s story, A Beacon of Light is presented here in a condensed form along with supplementary materials:

• Contextual information: Reading Guide, Timeline and Map
• Eva Kuper’s memoir, A Beacon of Light, including photographs and glossary terms
• Educational activities: Author Biography Activity (Activity #1), Primary Source Photograph Analysis (Activity #2), Rescue Activity Worksheet (Activity #3), Group Discussion Questions (Activity #4) and Reflection Journal (Activity #5)

Learning Objectives

• Analyze written survivor testimony
• Engage with primary sources
• Synthesize information and practice oral communication with peers
• Explore key themes: the Warsaw ghetto, deportation, escape, rescue, hiding