Theme

Source: []

Family: At the beginning of the story, the girl doesn't really understand or value her Jewish traditions or her family. But her journey opens her eyes and helps her understands. Also family was is very important to her grandfather and great aunt in the story.

 The Importance of Remembering : One of the key things that Yolen is trying to emphasize is how important remembrance is. Remembering may be hard, sometimes. However, it is a part of everyone's history. The Holocaust was a horrible event. Even though some may want to forget about it and not think about it's atrocity, it is one of those things that everyone should be educated about. People did live through this tragic time; it cannot be shoved aside. In any account of the Holocaust, remembrance is a prevalent theme. And this is also a very important concept to understanding the Jewish culture — since much of their national identity is related to memory, and remembering — rightfully so. In a time when so many people disappeared without record of their passing, nor memorial of their lives, which had been stripped from them — the only form of validation of so many individuals is in the memories that survivors carry on.