The Children of Willesden Lane
The Children of Willesden Lane tells the true story of Golabek’s mother, then-14-year-old Lisa Jura, an aspiring pianist whose parents sent her from Vienna to London via the Kindertransport in 1938. Jura spent the war at 243 Willesden Lane, a group home for young Jewish refugees, and continued to play the piano to fulfill her mother’s last words to her, to “hold on to [her] music” even during the darkest of times.
Learn how you can leverage this powerful story to teach your students about themes like perseverance, resilience, and testimony through artistic expression using the Lesson Plan below!
Classroom and Family Activities
Classroom Activities
Engage students in an exploration of topics like perseverance and resilience in activities that take a closer look at the Rohingya, South Sudan, and Syrian refugee crises. What does it mean to be a refugee – and what challenges do refugees, displaced persons, and asylum seekers face? Explore topics related to human rights with activities that open up the lines of communication and empower students to take action.
Family Activity
Over the last decade, the number of refugees across the world has doubled to nearly 80 million. In this activity, families will explore the story behind the numbers by taking a deeper look at causes for displacement as well as the regions and people most impacted. Family members will learn more about the world’s refugee crisis by reflecting on visual testimony, engaging in discussions from text, and developing ways your family can take informed action.
Supporting Testimony Clips
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Abdul Karim
Adbul recalls the beginning of violence against Rohingya in Rakhine.
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Anonymous Testimony (South Sudan Refugee Crisis)
A survivor of the South Sudan civil war describes her life working for a non-governmental organization before the outbreak of war, explains why she was fled to Uganda during the war, and describes life in a refugee camp.
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Elise Taft (Lesson Plan Testimony)
Elise emphasizes the importance of writing about genocide based on her experience as a survivor of the Armenian Genocide.
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Hansu Mala
Hansu recalls anti-Rohingya attitudes prior to the mass violence of 2017.
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Jamela Khatun (Family Activity Testimony)
Jamela explains her multiple displacements and how events have impacted her and her family.
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Judith Goldstein (Lesson Plan Testimony)
Judith recounts songs she learned while living in the ghetto during the Holocaust.
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Nurusseher
Nurusseher describes the journey to the refugee camp.
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Shafike Begum
Shafike describes life in the refugee camp and the possibility of return to Myanmar.
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Shirin Mustafa
Shirin describes challenges faced by her internally displaced family.
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Wasy Mustafa Moshe
Wasy describes his family’s decision to flee Kurdistan in response to air attacks on his hometown.
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Yehudah Bakon (Lesson Plan Testimony)
Yehudah draws on reflections from his time in the concentration camps during the Holocaust.
