Leslie Mezei
- 14+
- 2 class periods
Leslie Mezei was born in 1931 and grew up in Gödöllő, Hungary. He survived the Holocaust in Hungary by staying on the move and posing as a non-Jew. He came to Canada in 1948 and now lives in Toronto.
The educational materials below can be used to create a lesson around Leslie Mezei’s survival story.
Learning Objectives
- engage with survivor testimony
- develop media skills by researching a survivor’s story on the digital resource Re:Collection
- use historical-thinking and critical-thinking skills to complete a timeline
How to use these materials in class
Step 1: The Background Reading is a short introduction to a survivor’s story that provides historical and biographical context. Distribute the Background Reading to your students to prepare them to delve deeper into Leslie Mezei’s survival story.
Step 2: The Re:Collection Instructions show students how to navigate the digital resource Re:Collection. Distribute the instructions before your students use the digital resource.
Step 3: The Author Biography Activity asks students to answer ten chronological questions about a survivor’s life before, during and after the Holocaust. Assign this activity to your students to guide them through an exploration of Leslie Mezei’s page on Re:Collection.
Step 4: The Timeline Activity asks students to create a timeline of significant events from a survivor’s life alongside significant events in the history of the Holocaust. Assign this activity to your students to apply what they learned about Leslie Mezei’s experiences during the Holocaust to the broader historical context.
