The Tattooist of Auschwitz

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“The Real Tattooist of Auschwitz: Exploring the Biography of Lali (‘Lale’) Sokolov”

In this activity, students will explore the real-life stories of Lali Sokolov and Gita Furman, the two individuals at the center of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, while also grappling with a larger question: When it comes to historical fiction, how “true” does it need to be?

In a 2018 New York Times article, “‘The Tattooist of Auschwitz’ and the History in Historical Fiction,” journalist Christine Kenneally writes about some of the discrepancies between the historical details of Lali Sokolov’s life and how they were presented in The Tattooist of Auschwitz. For example, Gita’s prisoner number in the novel was 34902, but the real Gita said in an interview that her number was 4562.

In this activity, you will explore for yourself the biographies of Lali Sokolov and Gita Furman. Each small group of 4-5 students will:

• Conduct internet research to find any details they can about Lali Sokolov’s and Gita Furman’s personal histories and their experiences at Auschwitz-Birkenau.
• Write a 2-page report on the group’s findings, making note of where the story in the novel diverged from the facts and where it adhered to them.