Escape (for students 11+)

Escape from the Edge

Narrow escapes and bold decisions define the wartime experiences of teenaged Morris Schnitzer. Fleeing from Nazi Germany before the onset of World War II, Morris ends up in the Netherlands only to watch the country be invaded by the Germans. With his father’s warning to never set foot in a concentration camp echoing in his mind, Morris resolves to fight — and survive. As he assumes false identities and crosses endless borders in search of safety, Morris never acquiesces to the Nazi authorities. In his epic journey to Escape from the Edge, Morris endures arrests, interrogations and imprisonment. His perseverance leads him to join the resistance in Belgium and ultimately enlist in the American army, vowing to take revenge for all that he has lost. 

• Available in French
• Available in audiobook (contact memoirs@azrielifoundation.org to order) and ebook formats

Escape: Holocaust Testimony as Animated Film

• For ages 11+
• Also available in French
• 3+ classes

This activity guides students through a viewing of Escape: The True Story of Morris Schnitzer and provides them with discussion prompts for reflection on the short film, historical testimony and media. 

Hearing History: A Holocaust Survivor Memoir Read Aloud

• For ages 11+
• Also available in French
• Flexible length

This program is designed to help students learn about the Holocaust as educators guide them through a read aloud of a published memoir. 

About Morris Schnitzer

Morris Schnitzer (1922–2020) was born in Bochum, Germany. In 1947, he immigrated to Montreal, where he earned both a BSc and MSc at McGill University, going on to earn his PhD in 1955. In Ottawa, Morris worked at the Canadian government’s Department of Agriculture as a principal researcher in the chemistry of soil organic matter. He won the prestigious Wolf Prize in Agriculture in 1995 and wrote three books and more than four hundred scientific papers over the course of his distinguished career.