Discussion Questions for “Resistance”

1. You are a famous book reviewer from the New York Times. On a one to ten scale with
ten being a fantastic read and one meaning a terrible read, rate this book. Then describe
why you rated it as you did.
2. Why did Chaya dislike Esther at the beginning of the book?
3. How did Chaya’s feelings change toward Esther at the end of the book?
4. Do you think Esther was right when she decide to argue about Jewish people on the train?
5. Why do you think the young woman on the train risked her life to help Chaya and Esther
escape?
6. Provide some other examples in the book where people outside of the resistance group
helped Chaya and Esther?
7. In the book the characters have different perspectives about resistance? Some think the
goal is to save lives, other feel that resistance is to have the world notice what is
happening to the Jews. What does resistance looks like to you?
8. Esther and Chaya discuss the moral implications of shooting someone during the war.
What do you think?
9. Chaya talks about three kinds of Poles. Describe the three different groups and why you
think their attitudes on how they treat the Jewish people is different.
10. Which Polish group can you relate to most and why?
11. How does Chaya feel when she finds her brother in Warsaw?
12. Chaya had several opportunities to end her fighting for the resistance and hide until the
end of the war. Why do you think she continued fighting for the resistance in the
ghettos?
13. If you met Chaya and Esther during the war, would you have helped them? Explain.
14. Esther is torn between the love for her family and how they betrayed the Jewish people
explain what her family did and the reasons for their actions.
15. How did Esther feel about her father’s actions? How did the community feel about his
actions?
16. Why did Esther choose to sacrifice herself at the end of the book?
17. This book serves as an important reminder to stand up and speak out when atrocities such
as this happen. Can you think of any things that are happening in the world today where
we should speak out?
18. What life lessons did this book teach you?
19. Chaya is courageous can you provide examples?
20. Do you think you could be as courageous as Chaya?
21. Why is Chaya so loyal to Esther?
22. “We’ll all die one day, no one escapes that fate. Our only decision is how we live before
that day comes.” How does this does this quote in the book relate to the young people
who died in the Lodz Ghetto?