In Chapter 15 of The Devil's Arithmetic, Leye explains that Rivka organized a ring for the blokova, allowing Hannah to have a decent job in the kitchens. Rivka and Hannah have an exchange regarding Leye's explanation in which Rivka essentially tells Hannah to "pay it forward," an idea that prompts people to do good for others. Please provide your feelings on the following excerpt, drawing connections to your own life or other areas of study in the Sixth Grade.
When Hannah tried to thank Rivka, the girl only smiled and shrugged away the thanks. "My mother, may she rest in peace, always said 'a nemer iz nisht keyn geber,' a taker is not a giver. And a giver is not a taker either. Keep your thanks. And hand it on." She said it gently, as if embarrassed.
Hannah understood her embarrassment and didn't mention it again, but she did try to pass it on....
I think that Rivka was very kind because she stole a ring and gave it to the blokova so Chaya could work in the kitchens. She basicly saved her life because Chaya wasn't strong enough to do any of the other work. If she couldn't work she would have been killed. This act of kindness tells me that if someone does something nice for me I should then do something nice for someone else. If everybody handed on their thanks to someone else then the world would be full of good deeds.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rivka did this to help Chaya (Hanna) bye having her by her side so Rivka can tell Chaya what to do and what not to do to make sure Chaya does not get "Choosen".
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter I think that Rivka is trying to be nice because she doesn't want Chaya to die, so she gave her a job that she can handle. If she didn't do this I think that Chaya wouldn't have a chance of living. I think that when Rivka said, "Keep your thanks and hand it on" she meant that because I showed you that I did something nice, you should do that too. If she does something nice then other people will too.
ReplyDeleteI think Rivka was doing Chaya a favor by getting her a job in the kitchen so Chaya wouldn't die. I think that act of kindness is like the boomerang effect. If you do a favor for someone else, the favor will be given back to you.
ReplyDeleteIn this chapter, I think that Rivka is being nice and helping Chaya, because she doesn't want her to get Choosen, and in order to survive she needs a job. I think that Rivka is doing this because she feels Chaya can potentially be a friend. I also think she's doing this because she wants to make a ripple, and if she does something nice for Chaya, then Chaya will do something nice to other people, and then those people will pass the generosity on to others.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Rivka is helping Chaya because when they were sitting down at lunch, she stayed with Rivka instead af running away like her friend. I believe that is why Rivka got a job for Chaya in the kitchens, so she would not get chosen.
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ReplyDeleteI think it was extremely generous of Rivka to get Hannah a job in the kitchen by "organizing" a gold ring for the blokova. This is called "paying it forward" and is like the boomerang effect: when you do something helpful for somebody, they may end up returning the favor.
ReplyDelete--Roland Martin
What Rivka means by this is that Chaya should keep her concernment and thanks for those who really need it. It also means that in either way, you should try to help your friends and loved ones live, just like Rivka was doing. Chaya saved the baby and went in the midden, so the baby's mother organized something for Chaya, and Rivka did something for Chaya-so now it is her turn to do something good again. It is exactly like the ripple effect.
ReplyDeleteI think what Rivka means by keep your thanks and hand it on is, that everyone should be grateful for what they have, and especially in a place like that. Is it really not enough to be trapped in a dark dirty place, forced to do chores and bossed around by people who are stupid because you have a different nose length and might be killed in a gas chamber any second? Do they really have to get everyone mad at each other and have an even more tense environment than they already do? Keep your thanks and pass it on truly means to be happy with what you got and to make sure that you can make another person happy too. If I were to give someone a present, i would feel good, but not in the way as if I had something new to play with, but by knowing that I made a person's day. Spread the love!
ReplyDeleteNichola G.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rivka meant that you should be appreciative of what you have because in a place as terrible as the camps there is barely enough of anything to survive. Pass on the love and hope that you have. In the death camps there is truly not enough courage going around. Simply, be thankful and give others comfort. Also I think that Rivka got Chaya a job in the kitchen because she didn't want Chaya to be 'Choosen' because she couldn't work. In places like those, everybody needs to help each other. Everybody should live Me to We!
Tyler R.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rivka got Chaya to work in the kitchen so she could be with Chaya and also so she would not get as tired.
Nicholas D.
ReplyDeleteRivka did that so Chaya wouldn't get killed from work that she was not used to and smoked. Also Jews must help each other if they are to live/survive. If doing so would save my friend, I would have and will do it too.
I think that Rivka is trying to be a good friend to Hannah. Rivka doesn't want to see Hannah suffer so by getting her a job in the kitchen they can be together and be safer. If Hannah had gotten a job someplace else there is a bigger chance that she would have been "chosen." By doing this Rivka started the ripple effect.
ReplyDeleteRivka got Hannah/Chaya a decent kitchen job so that she has a smaller chance of becoming "chosen." Rivka's kindness for her friend started the ripple effect that would probably pass on through the Jews. What she said about a giver not being a taker and a taker not being a giver could cause all of the Jews at the camps to take care of each other and show acts of kindnesses to help each other survive and remain hopeful. Relating to my own life, I think that I should do the same for my friends if I were also in this situation. If we sixth-graders can show acts of kindness to everyone, we can also start the same ripple effect that Rivka started and get even more people involved.
ReplyDeleteRivka got Hannah the job because Rivka is a lower number and can protect and guide Hannah to survive in the concentration camp.
ReplyDeleteRivka told Hannah/Chaya all the rules she should know to survive in the camp. Also, Rivka "organized" a ring to get Hannah/Chaya a job in the kitchen so Hannah's/Chaya's chances of being "chosen" are low. "Keep your thanks. And hand it on." That means when someone does something nice to you, you should do something nice to someone else, creating the ripple effect. All of us should help each other in times when we need it.
ReplyDeleteI believe Rivka was very kind and generous in this chapter. She organized a ring to get Chaya (AKA Hannah) a decent job in the kitchen. I believe she did this because she thinks that they can later on become good friends, to do good deeds for each other, and also keep the chances of being choosen down. When Rivka says, "Keep your thanks," and to "Pass it on." that clearly means that you should help others in the act of kindness. Maybe the person you are helping doesn't even ask you to help, you just do it out of the kindness of your heart. You know what they say, what goes around comes around.
ReplyDeleteby Lindsey Uteda
I think Rivka was very kind because she "organized" a ring to give to the blokova so he would let Hannah/Chaya work in the kitchen. If Rivka wouldn't have done that, Hannah/Chaya would have maybe had to work at a job where strength was required, and she may have gotten killed if she couldn't do the job. This means that if you pass on a good deed to other people, you could create a ripple and help the world get one step closer to improving our planet.
ReplyDelete--Sophia LePera
I think it takes a very strong, brave, and extremely kind person to do something that could have risked their life, just to get their "friend" a decent job. Referring to the case when Rivka stole a ring and gave to the blokova to get Chaya a job in the kitchen. Just for Rivka to know that Chaya couldn't handle the job she intentionally supposed to have, shows that she pays attention to her and cares for her.
ReplyDeleteRivka is philanthropic by organizing a ring to bribe the blokova with to get Chaya a better job working in the kitchen, washing dishes. Also, Rivka gives Chaya a smaller chance of being "chosen."
ReplyDeleteRivka is philanthropic by organizing a ring to bribe the blokova with to get Chaya a better job working in the kitchen, washing dishes. Also, Rivka gives Chaya a smaller chance of being "chosen."
ReplyDeleteWho is Unknown?
ReplyDeleteRivka apparently considers Hannah/Chaya as a friend. Rivka is a nice, brave, and trustworthy friend. She got Hannah her job and you need a job to survive in the camps. This could cause a "ripple effect" in which since a good deed was done to Hannah, she might do a good deed to someone else.
ReplyDeleteI think Rivka wanted to start a ripple effect that improved morale.
ReplyDeleteI think Rivka did this to help Hannah because if she didn't Hannah may have not made it in the camp. Doing this good deed that helped hannah would maybe remind her to help another.
ReplyDeleteJason K.
ReplyDeleteI think Rivka did a very nice thing to Chaya by giving the blokova a ring to get Chaya a job in the kitchens. I think Chaya learned from Rivka's good deed that she should help others.
Noah D.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rivka was just being a giver by giveing Chaya a job and when Rivka remembered her mom's quote and decided not to take the thanks.
I think that Rivka was trying to stick with the phrase "a nemer iz nisht keyn geber" because after giving Chaya the ring, she didn't take the thanks in return (a giver is not a taker). Also, I think that "pay it forward" is a very nice rule because you would want to spread your happiness with everyone while in such a dark place.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rikva shrugged instead of taking the thanks when she gave Hannah(or Chaya)a job because she remembered the quote"A Giver is not a taker"
ReplyDeleteI think that Rivka did a good deed and she shrugged because she knows that she is a giver. Her mom's quote helped her remember and she always did good deeds. It kind of reminded me of when we gave to Colonal Zeisman in Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rivka shrugged away the thanks because she was a giver not a taker. Rivka gave that job to Hannah to lower Hannah's chance of being chosen. Now instead of taking Hannah's thanks she tells her to pass it on so Hannah at the end of the book let Rivka live instead of her and that is the biggest blessing anyone can give. To give your life in exchange for someone else
ReplyDeleteAgain, students, who is "Unknown"? No credit if not attributed to an author.
ReplyDeleteMr. B
Jade W.
ReplyDeleteI think that Rivka giving Chaya a job in the kitchen by "organizing" a gold ring for the blokova was very thoughtful and nice. This is like what Rivka's mother said, "a taker is not a giver and a giver is not a taker either. And hand it on."which means that i helped you so now you should help someone too, like the ripple effect.
Olivia W.
ReplyDeleteWhen Rivka said "keep your thanks and pass it on" she meant, now that I have done somthing for you, do somthing for someone else.
Rivka told Chaya to "pass it on" to someone else because she does not need it as much as some other people.
ReplyDeleteStudents,
ReplyDeleteThank you. This blog post is now closed (4:30 p.m., 12/8/11). Good job!