Name__________________________________ Due Date________________________ Period_____

The Devils Arithmetic Study Questions Guide (Ch. 1 through End)

CHAPTER 1:
Thanksgiving
quiet
exodus

Seder
brother
Easter

Aaron
history
Grandpa Will

questions
eating
remembering

Seder
Jewish
Egypt

1.

Passover is a_________ festival that commemorates the _________ of the Jews from ____________
and is marked chiefly by the __________ (Passover meal) ritual and the _________ of matzoth. (chapter 3
or from PPT notes)

2.

Passover is most like the American holiday of __________________ when we also eat a big meal and retell a story. Passover is nearest in date to the Christian ______________ holiday)

3.

Hannah and her family are going to ___________and Grandma Belles house for the family ___________

4.

___________is so important to Jewish families because they remember how much family means to them and
the events of ___________.

5.

Hannah is happy to tell her ___________ a story because shes a good storyteller. ___________ is being a
pain b/c he is nervous about the 4 ___________ he has to recite at the Seder. The story will get him to be
___________

CHAPTER 2:
best
Belle
6.

7.

tattoo
Eva

sister
father

concentration
friend

number

Why is Grandpa Will yelling at the TV?

a.
The voices on TV annoy him
b.
Some people went along with Hitler
c.
He sees old photos on the TV of concentration camp victims, corpses stacked like cordwood, and
dead-eyed survivors. He is mad at the Nazis.
d.
The power went out
The ___________ on Grandpas arm is significant to the story because it is his ___________ (or
identification) from the ___________ camp.

8.

Why was Grandpa Will so upset that Hannah drew a tattoo on her arm?
a. He wouldnt want her to be in the same situation that he had experienced.
b. She doesnt understand the meaning of the number or what the Jews endured.
c. Tattoos are not appropriate for females
d. both a and b

9.

Aunt ___________ is Grandpa Wills ___________ who lives with Will and ___________. She helped
raise Hannahs ___________. She shared a special bond with Hannah (favorite aunt) maybe b/c Hannah is
named after her _________ _______ (deceased).

CHAPTER 3:
gift
sister
Elijahs
10.

sacrifice
children
privilege

Afikoman
history
headache

13
unselfish

The Seder is special for Hannah because she is allowed to drink watered-down wine for the first time. True
or False

11.

What argument/statement did Grandpa Will use to get what he wanted? When my ___________ was
___________, what she would have given for a glass of wine (guilt)

12.

The ___________ is an important game because ___________ can have fun while they remember
___________. The child who finds the afikoman can trade it for something they want. See page 16

13.

Hannah is ___________ with the wine. She emptied her whole glass of wine into ___________ cupshe
didnt want the wine b/c it was giving her a ___________. This was not a ___________ as Grandpa Will
believed.

14.

By being unselfish Hannah earns the ___________of opening the door for the prophet and welcoming him
in b/c of her generous ___________.
(A sacrifice unasked is much greater)

CHAPTER 4 and 5:
Yitzchak
1942

parents
Shmuel

nurse
marry

Polish
kids

Gitl
monster

15.

In her mind, Hannah been transported to a ___________ village in ___________. (setting)

16.

___________ is Chayas fathers brother while ___________ is the sister.

Chaya is living with Shmuel and Gitl because her ___________ have died.

17.

Chayas
a.
b.
c.
d.

18.

___________ is a butcher who wants to ___________ Gitl. He has two ___________. He is referred to
as a ___________ who only wants a ___________ for his kids.

19.

parents died of
starvation
in a death camp
fever
World War II

Why was Shmuel having a hard time sleeping?

a. He has gone to bed hungry
b. it is the morning of his wedding day and he is nervous about getting married.
c. his house is without heat
d. hes worried about preserving Jewish traditions
20. True or False: Shmuel is afraid of getting married.

21. True or False: Shmuel thought Hanna was telling the truth about New
Rochelle being in America.
22.

True or False: Gitl is annoyed with the butcher and says to him, do not tell me in my house what is and
what is not and asks him if he left his kids outside in a cage.

CHAPTER 6:
coral
mall
toilets

braces
white
inside

blue
crooked
wealthy

8
brown
shocked

gray
boys
shmatte

ugliest
face

23.

Hannah wore a dark __________ sailor dress with __________ piping around the sleeves and neck. It
was the __________thing she had ever seen. Hannah says it is a ______.

24.

Describe what Hannah noticed in the mirror. Hannahs ________ and the light _________ lipstick her
mother allowed her to wear to the Seder were gone. The girl who stared back had the same heart-shaped
________, _________ smile, same __________hair, same ________ eyes.

25.

What name do the other childrens parents call Gitl and why?
a. Gitl the Bear; she is so fierce
b. Gitl the wolf; she is so cunning
c. Gitl the snake; she is so sneaky
d. Gitl the dog; she is so friendly

26.

What method did Hannah use to remember Shifre, Esther, and Yente? Fill in the blanks with their names.
_______ shifty b/c she had shifty eyes
_______ Easter b/c she was round like an Easter egg
_______ Yellow b/c she had a yellow complexion

27.

Hannah described her house as having __ rooms and the _________ are ________ the house (one
upstairs and one downstairs). The girls were _________ that she lived in a house and thought her parents
must be _________.

28.

Hannah explains that she goes to school during the week and on weekends she goes to the ______. The
girls explain to Hannah that where they are from, only _________are allowed to go to school.

CHAPTER 7:
29.

30.

List at least 3 story titles that Hannah shared with her new friends?
1.
2.
3.
Back home Hannah was not very ______________. But in the shtetl, she was ______________.

31.

Who did Fayges father hire to entertain the wedding guests?

a. A badman
b. a court jester
c. a clown
d. a a badchan

32.

The badchan told Hannah her name means __________________ a strong name for a strange time.

CHAPTER 8:
God

six

Poland

1942

God

5701

33.

As the wedding party arrives at Fayges village, who is there to greet them?
a. the townspeople
b. the minister
c. the Nazi soldiers
d. the band

34.

Who is the malach ha-mavis?

a. the angel of mercy b. the devil
c. the angel of death
d. a guard

35.

Fayge tells Hannah that the year is ________. This is the year in the Jewish (of lunar calendar) calendar.
She does not understand because she knows it is _________ on the Christian (or Roman) calendar.

36.

Hannah warns the group of the future, and they respond with, There are not ________ million Jews in all
of __________. Do not tremble before mere men. It is _______before whom we must tremble. Only
_______.

37.

Chapter 8 ends with a simile comparing the waiting Nazis to a steel trap with gaping jaws ready to be
sprung. Explain what this means. (Use complete sentences)

CHAPTER 9 and 10:

no one

older

women

Nazis

girls

38.

The Nazis gave the Jews a reason for relocation, what was it?
a. It is government policy.
b. The government has been setting villages closer to the big cities.
c. They were going to provide them with better paying jobs.
d. Both a and b

39.

Check the statements which show foreshadowing.

____ The snakes smiles but it shows no teeth
____ Better the fox to guard the hens and the wolves to guard the sheep
____ How long is eternity?

40.

The army trucks arrive at the train station. What happens to the Jews and their belongings?
a) There were piles of things spread out along the tracks as if it had been dropped by a
fleeing army.
b) Hannah saw suitcases (some were packed and others had contents spilling out). The Jews
recognize items belonging to family members, but were not allowed to stop and get it.
c) Their papers and jewelry were taken for safekeeping. If they talk, they will be shot! The
Jews were told to lie on the ground.
d) all of the above

41.

42.

In the boxcars, _____________ people were pushed in first, followed by _______________ and
_______________. So many people were shoved in, you couldnt move at all. The _____________ locked the
doors; it was dark with only patches of light, airless and hot.
They pass peasants in the fields what was their reaction to the Jews in the train?
a.
They thought they were going towards freedom.
b.
They thought they were going to die.
c.
They thought they were going to work in the fields.
d.
They thought they were going to be reunited with family.
43. Many passengers tell about people who had escaped. Fayge explained that it was only gossip and reminded them
that ____________________ escaped. On page 83, Fayge said, No more stories! Nothing more will
happen to us it will pass; we are going to be resettled. That is all. Then I will be married.

CHAPTER 11:
1. The word zuagangi means _____________________.
2. What was the first lesson that Hannah and the others needed to learn at camp?
a. How to cook their soup and bread.
b. They needed to learn not to call attention to themselves.
c. They were trained on how to sort prisoners belongings.
d. They learned how to become leaders and stand up for their group.
3. True or False? Hannah didnt want to add to their misery so she decided to keep her
knowledge about what happened in the camps to herself.
4. Which of the following show that Hannah has changed since the beginning of the story?
a. Hannah isnt ignorant anymore.
b. She has learned to care for others.
c. She now appreciates remembering and why it is important.
d. All of the above.

CHAPTER 12 and 13:

ten
bowls

metal
washing

sleeping
hard work

ovens

life

5. The name Chaya means _____________________.

6. The barracks that the women were housed in had long brick ________________ along one
end and deep trenches on the sides in which _________________ shelves were placed (like
triple bunk beds) at impossibly narrow intervals.
7. Each newcomer received a ______________ bowl in which they use to hold food for eating
and water for __________________ and drinking.
8. The three fingered woman tells the prisoners to expect _______________________.

9. Rivka is a _____ year old girl who helps the newcomers with their _____________ and she
meets Hannah when Hannah goes to get her bowl.
CHAPTER 14:

midden
year

rules
brown
musslemen
walking dead
Wolfe

10. A typical meal served to the prisoners consisted of:

a. watery potato soup and a small slab of dark bread
b. day old bread and water
c. left over food from the German army
d. cornbread
11. SonderKommando means ___________________________ and Rivkas brother,
___________________, have been given that title.
12. Rivka is a plain-faced, _____________-eyed, ten year old girl who is nice and has been at the
camp for a_____________. She is important to Hannah and the other girls because she helps
them learn the _________________.
13. People earn the tile of _________________ if they decide that life is not worth fighting for.
14. What does Rivka mean when she says she can organize things?
a. They can organize or straighten the belongings.
b. Rivka means that she can steal or take things.
c. Items can be sorted into clothing, jewelry, shoes, etc for the prisoners to claim.
d. She has been given a gift of organizational skills.
15. The __________________ is a garbage dump where all the children go to hide.
16. Explain Rivkas recitation of her tattoohow and why does she remember her number that way?

17. On page 117, who does Hannah hear?

a. Gitl
b. Fayge
c. her grandfather

d. Aaron (her brother)

CHAPTER 15:

Bear

heart
water

midden

shoes

clothes
SS men
Germany

stolen
walls
barracks

18. Hannah saved a camp baby who was still cradled in a washtub by jumping in the
____________________. They were upset with her because Hannah jumped in the midden
with her ___________________ on and they were filthy!

19. Most of the jobs the prisoners had were mindless. Many jobs were meant to keep the camp
running such as cleaning the barracks, the guards houses, the hospital, the kitchen; cutting and
hauling wood for stoves; building more ______________________. Most of the workers
were used in the sorting shed, stacking clothing, suitcases, and possessions ______________
from the prisoners dividing these into piles to be sent back to ______________________.
Jobs for the men:
hauling wood
21. making _____________
22. -making rings on order from
____________
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jobs for the women:

20. -hauling ________ from the
pumps
spooning out meager meals
washing the giant cauldrons
used to cook the soup
23. Scrubbing _______

24. What sacrifices did Hannah make for others?

25. You are chosen for processing (death) if you

a. cant get out of bed and cant work
b. are the youngest in your family
c. are the first born son
d. dont support the Nazis.
26. Fayges father was chosen because he was in the hospital with a broken
_________________________.
27. Badchan was chosen because he said, _____________________________________.
28. What Gitls nickname? ______________________
29. What does it mean?
CHAPTER 16:

Rivka

fingers
rumors

control
killed

barracks
laboring

30. Each time the Blokova loses ________________ of the Jews in her charge, the Nazis take
off one of her __________________ as punishment.
31. The Commandant chooses Reuven because he didnt run into the Midden like all the children
under the age of 14 were supposed to do. (circle one) True
False
32. When the new arrivals came to camp they were immediately ____________. This is
something different because they were usually sent to the _________________ when they
first arrived. This change in procedure caused the prisoners to become worried and
______________ began to spread throughout the camp.

33. ____________ says, We are all heroes. She means that they are heroes because they took
the more difficult path of ___________________ in the camps to try to stay alive while
others simply got killed.
CHAPTER 17:
34. When Gitl becomes concerned that something might happen to her, who does she asks to be
sure to remember? ____________________
35. What is Gitls plan?

36. Gitls plan was / was not successful. Shmuel and the other men were caught and later
__________.
37. As a direct result of Gitls plan, ________________________ shoes were found outside the
door.
38. How is she (the answer from 37) punished?
CHAPTER 18:
39. The commandant had six men in chains. Who were they and why were they chained?
______________________, __________________________, and 4
__________________
40. Why?
____________________________________________________________________
41. Shmuel, who was always agreeable with his captors, shows signs of change when he:
a. spits at a soldier
b. remains silent when questioned
c. smiles while looking for Fayge in the crowd.
d. All of the above
42. How does Schmuel Die? How does Fayge die?

43. Yitzchak escaped from the camp. (True False )

44. 48. A guard was sent to find 3 girls who were not working. Why or why not were these girls
chosen?
Why was she chosen?
OR
Why was she not chosen?
Esther
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Shifre

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rivka

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hannah

49. At the Passover Seder in chapter 1, Hannah tells her mother Im tired of remembering. By
the end of the novel, how has her view of remembering changed?

50. On their way to Lilliths Cave, why is Hannah able to comfort the other two girls and not feel
afraid for herself?
a. She doesnt believe the stories about the cave
b. She knows, she lived, had lived, would live again in the future
c. She believed it was a mistake and they would be saved in time
d. all of the above
CHAPTER 19 and Epilogue:
51. This chapter begins in Hannahs Grandparents (Grandpa _____________, Grandma
___________) apartment building, the night of the Seder, where the story began.
52. ___ _________ _________ is Wolfe, Evas brother. He was known as Wolfe when he was a
child in Poland working as a SonderKommando, or the walking dead.
53. __________________________ was known as Rivka. (Chayas friend in the concentration
camp) She changed her name when she came to the U.S. after the war.
54. At the camp, _____________________ had given up her life to save Rivka.
What happened? Answer the question thoroughly and provide text support for your answer.
55. What do we learn about Yitzchak?

56. What do we learn about Gitl?

57. What do we learn about the Blokova?