H EADLINES
Maus Continued from Page 1
“Maus” by Art Spiegelman
from the middle school curric-
ulum due to concerns about
profanity and female nudity in
the book.

“Maus” is an autobiograph-
ical accounting of Spiegelman
interviewing his father, a Polish
Jew and Holocaust survivor,
about his life. In the graphic
novel, Jews are depicted as
mice and Nazis as cats.

Spiegelman called the book
banning “Orwellian” and said
in a CNN interview, “I moved
past total baffl ement to try to
be tolerant of people who may
possibly not be Nazis, maybe.”
Lerner expressed a similar
sentiment about the banning,
drawing connections between
the book banning and the book
burning event: “It invokes
thoughts of how it was in the
1930s with fascism: ‘You can’t
read this. You can’t say this.

You can’t do this. And you have
to do what we do.’ And it’s all
in step and right in line with
what then was Nazi Germany
to me.”
Lerner and Spiegelman are
not alone in their attitudes
toward the book banning.

Other Jewish educators agree
that the banning of “Maus”
was the wrong call.

“Banning is a really extreme
measure,” said Barbara Mann,
Chana Kekst Professor of
Jewish Literature at the Jewish
Th eological Seminary.

Mann argued that the
reasons for banning the
book — the use of the word
“goddamn” and the depic-
tion of Speigelman’s mother
naked in a bathtub following
her suicide — were loft y, but
Mann doesn’t argue that the
content of the graphic novel
isn’t disturbing.

“Th ere’s a lot of really brutal
stuff in here. Th e Holocaust
was kind of a brutal event,”
she said.

However, the difficult
material, such as Spiegelman’s
mother’s suicide, is situated in
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM regardless of the age of the
person reading the graphic
novel, there must be appro-
priate context given about the
diffi cult topics covered.

“You have to know your
class. You have to know your
students. ... You have to have a
reason to teach something diffi -
cult,” she said. “Th e purpose
of teaching a diffi cult subject
matter is not for shock value.”
For educators interested in
Jason Lerner
Professor Barbara Mann
Colleen Tambuscio
Courtesy of Jason Lerner
Courtesy of Barbara Mann
Courtesy of Colleen Tambuscio teaching “Maus,” Mann and
Tambuscio suggest priming
students with background
knowledge about World War
You have to know your class. You have to know your students. ...

II and the Holocaust, as well
You have to have a reason to teach something difficult.”
as about how to read a graphic
novel. COLLEEN TAMBUSCIO
“With framing and with
information, students can be
the context of larger themes
Lerner’s students will oft en but it’s a challenging book, and set up to read this book in a
such as memory and trauma.

come to class with diff ering so maybe it’s more appropriate really impactful way,” Mann
“It’s just treated really sensi- views on topics, including for a high school curric- said. ●
tively honoring the fact that the COVID vaccine and ulum than a middle school
srogelberg@jewishexponent.com; there was this horrible thing gender-neutral bathrooms, curriculum.”
that happened to this family which he tries to incorporate
Tambuscio asserts that 215-832-0741
that ripped it apart, and now into his lesson plans.

they’re dealing with it, and
“We try and have open
they’re talking about it,” Mann discussions where it’s peaceful
said. “I don’t know, that sounds and conductive, which is really
like a really good thing to important in the classroom,
teach, don’t you think?”
but sometimes a lot of teachers
Mann is co-leading a March avoid it,” Lerner said.

3 workshop called “‘Maus’:
He said that some teachers
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educator Colleen Tambuscio.

immune to distracted students.

Tambuscio, a high school
“Some kids will make
Evening Gowns
teacher at New Milford High comments and jokes, but that
Suits/Separates School in New Milford, New doubles down on the opportu-
Jersey, believed “Maus” has an nity to talk about not making
Cocktail Dresses
important role in the class- comments and how to express
room when teaching about the your feelings if you don’t agree
Holocaust. with somebody,” Lerner said.

“It’s refl ective of the survivor
While Lerner can have
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story. It’s also in this graphic meaningful
conversations novel format that is accessible with students, he also said his
Huntingdon Valley,
to students,” she said. “Th is is students don’t “usually” fully
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something visual that they can understand the weight of the
relate to, and it also is done in Holocaust.

www.elanaboutique.com a very literary sense.”
“Maus,” due to the mature
(215)953-8820 To Lerner, who does not themes around death, grief and
teach “Maus” as part of his generational trauma, might be
English curriculum,
its too sensitive for some readers,
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banning is symbolic of a loss of Mann argued.

Consult with the designer to
opportunities to have diffi cult
“Know your audience,
explore your style options.

conversations in the classroom. right?” she said. “I’m no expert,
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FEBRUARY 17, 2022
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