Thats when Mahmoud and Khalid had learned how valuable it was to be invisible. On top of this, he deals with coping, loss, and hardship. Do you think the Soviet Union is going to suddenly decide to get back together and start sending us food again? Theres no service again. Tens of thousands of people poured into the streets, demanding the release of political prisoners and more freedom for everyone. [2][3]. Soon the sisters ran back outside, hanging on to each other with laughter. name, asks in perfect Arabic if Youssef and his family are seeking asylum in Germany. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Mahmoud couldnt draw a breath. Every sailor they met doffed his cap at them, and the steward who showed them to their cabin assured them that they could call upon him for anything they needed while on board. Ever since the Soviet Union had collapsed, the only currency most Cubans had were the booklets you got stamped when you went to pick up your food rations from the store. Well, Fidel is thickheaded, Luis said. Lights came on in houses nearby, and curtains ruffled as people looked out at the noise. While the passengers wait to be allowed to disembark, Josef encounters Isabel's grandfather, Mariano Padron, who is a Cuban government officer bound by duty not to let the Jewish refugees in, despite feeling sorry for them. Papi had to leave Cuba. Not like this, Josef prayed and the Hitler Youth boy pushed Josef on past. Refugee is more than a story about children fleeing their homelands, it is a story about what unites us all: love, family, and perseverance. Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of Moving Target A gripping, visceral, and hold-your-breath intense story of three young refugees. John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Turtles All the Way Down An intelligent, human, harrowing read. Ellen Silva, NPR Meant to be read, discussed, and shared widely. School Library Journal A haunting fictional treatment of historic events. Booklist Unflinching and sympathetic. The New York Times A stunning, poignant novel. View all posts by thescholarlyteacher. Mahmoud By Refugee Action November 18, 2016 Refugee Voices In Syria, Mahmoud was a successful tradesman, living happily with his wife and four children in a big house in the country's capital, Damascus. He was dusty and smelled like he hadnt had a bath in months, and the heat of the road radiated off him and his rifle like a stove. Josef and his family were on their way to a new country. He uses this skill daily, finding a new route home from school each day to keep himself and his little brother Waleed safe. What if there was a line of police waiting to arrest them at the beach? People often stopped to listen to her and clap and tap their feet. Where are you going? the soldier at the window asked. No police cars or emergency crews hurried to the scene. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. No station agents stopped to ask if they needed help finding their train. They fell on him, hitting and kicking him for being a Jew, and calling him all kinds of names. What was the name of the ship that Josef traveled on to move to Cuba? Quickly now, children, Mama said. Instant PDF downloads. Mahmoud Bishara (12) In what year did the Arab Spring come to Syria? We didnt want to leave our homes! another man yelled. of them belching gray-black diesel engine smoke. Refugee is a young adult literature novel by Alan Gratz published by Scholastic Corporation in 2017. It had fallen five stories to the ground below, along with the outside wall. Ohlet me get someone to help you with those bags. The way the content is organized. There werent any left. It was his dad. Mama spent weeks going from one government office to another, trying to find out where her husband was and how to get him back. Asked by Bishara. Josef was about to leave when he thought to buy Ruthie a piece of candy. But the only thing that matters to him in this moment is finding. Ruth! Mama cried when she saw them. What happens to Isabels boat at the end of Chapter 14? Thus, Mahmoud recognizes the importance of being visible, and his story also raises visibility for the many Syrian refugees who continue to need aid in the present. Not any longer. They yelled and chanted. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Mahmoud grabs onto it, bringing Fatima and, the Coast Guard for them. He had done everything he could to avoid the Hitler Youth ever since, but now hed handed himself right over to oneand all because hed taken off his armband to walk around a train and buy a newspaper! Josef! This incident later haunts Mahmoud, as he wishes that he had chosen not to remain invisible in order to help the boy. Mahmoud explains how they gave, people who hadnt survived. 2011 (14) IWB are their Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims? But then there his dad was, running down the street toward them, and Mahmoud felt like he could fly. But we have to go so all of us will be safe. Mahmoud and his family were waiting in line at Kilis, Turkey, at the border to enter the country. He didnt look happy about it, though. thinks that he will never forget the fear of being so powerless in that moment. Ivn plopped to the dusty ground beside Isabel. This must have been the Castilloss plan all alongfor Luis and his girlfriend to run away with them! The soldier had a hole in his head. We need more writers. He waved a hand at all the magazines and newspapers. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. No! The shadows threw him to the floor. It was a salsa tune she liked to play, but this time she listened past the music. Theres no room. Refugee Character Analysis Josef Landau Josef is a 13-year-old Jewish boy living in Germany in the 1930s. She hadnt gone nearly catatonic like Waleed, but at some point it had gotten bad enough that she just stopped talking about it. What are you doing? Mahmouds father dove back into the front seat and yanked the iPhone and the charger cord from the Mercedes just as bullets ripped into the car again. Tomorrow. And food ration booklets were pretty worthless anywaythere wasnt enough food to go around, whether you had a booklet or not. What country is Mahmouds family trying to reach? In the book, Refugee, who is the author? This is what they do. Not that hes counting. The Brownshirt suddenly turned serious. Thank God youre all alive! he cried. He wrapped them all in a hug and kissed little Hana on the forehead. Empathy and Social Responsibility. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Well all go! Isabel cried. Then it was time for Josef to recite the blessing hed been practicing for weeks. Hundreds of Germans have come forward to provide food, drink, and other goods. The man reached out for them. Isabel was listening for the clave underneath the music, the mysterious hidden beat inside A black shoe covered the armband before Josef could grab it. What do the boat smugglers keep telling Mahmouds family? Theres no reason to go throwing yourself onto a raft in the ocean, Lito said. However, they end up driving straight into some enemy soldiers who attack the car. When all this is over, Ill find you and arrest you, and theyll send you away for good. Luis pulled the angry policeman away, pausing just long enough to give Isabel a worried look over his shoulder. Isabel loved tagging along on trips into Havana to stand on a street corner and play her trumpet for pesos. The United States only let in a certain number of Jews every year, so Josefs family planned to live in Cuba while they waited. I wish from the bottom of my heart that you will land soon, Little Man, Officer Padron said again. Isabel tossed an old ball cap on the ground, on the off chance that one of the tourists actually had a peso to spare. We have to get on that ship. But what if his father had been hit by one of the bombs? He was stocky, his shoulders wide and muscular despite the food shortages. The way the content is organized, One of the three protagonists of the book, alongside. The couple is very kind, welcoming them and sharing their own stories. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." No, no, no, Lito said. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Hana Bishara appears in. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Mahmoud Bishara, 12, lives in Aleppo, Syria, in 2015. Staring back up at them was the huge face of Fidel Castro! You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. LitCharts | Summary & Analysis All 1600 LitChart PDFs are available for immediate download (including Refugee). His breath came quick and deep, and his hands clenched into fists. Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15 to 16 days from home. Ill be a man in six months and eleven days. The Nazis laughed again. When they reach the shore, Youssef kisses the ground and says thanks to Allah. Everywhere around them, people fled into the streets, covered in gray dust and blood. He put a hand to the motorcycle motor theyd mounted inside the boat. But the good people couldnt help you, either., Youre still alive, and so is your little sister, somewhere. She dropped to her knees and pulled them both into a hug. It was night, and a waning moon peeked out from behind scattered clouds. All Isabel could see was the metal side of the boat in front of her face, but she heard a commotion behind her. Sajid Javid (/ s d d d v d /; born 5 December 1969) is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from June 2021 to July 2022, having previously served as Home . If Castro was letting anyone leave, her father would be gone before the sun rose the next day. Mahmoud began without Waleed. He blinked, still dazed, and then he understood. But now the streets were full of people yelling, Down with Fidel! The rebels? This route crosses a country border, Google Maps told them, marking the alert with a little yellow triangle. Then she wailed even harder and louder. LitCharts Teacher Editions. He used her childhood nickname, like he always did. Mahmoud didnt like the sound of that, eitherto him, smuggler meant illegal, and illegal meant dangerous. It had been before Kristallnacht, before the Nuremberg Laws that made Jews second-class citizens, before the boycotts and book burnings. His head was bent low, but his voice was loud and clear. He had white hair that he wore swept back on his head, and even though there was no food, he had a middle-aged paunch to his belly. Mahmoud puts together that he and the other refugees are invisible only until they do something the natives dont want them to do, and he continues to question the value of staying invisible. No police cars or emergency crews hurried to the scene. In all the times hed dreamed of this day, his father had always been there to recite a blessing with him. They left as suddenly as they had come, and Josef and his sister and mother huddled together on their knees in the middle of the room. Two of the Nazis yanked Josefs father to his feet and dragged him toward the door. They were right. Answers: 1. How Do Travel Nurses Get Health Insurance? My family was killed in an airstrike, one of the soldiers said. The entire outside wall of Mahmouds apartment was gone. Whats happened? Mr. Sarraf asked Mahmoud, and then he saw the missing wall and his eyes went wide. Ruthie Landau/Rosenberg, Ruthie Landau/Rosenberg, Ruthie Landau/R Lito/Mariano Padron is a character in the film Lito/Mariano Padron. He brandished a pistol at Mahmouds family and demanded money before forcing them to flee. But if he looked right at them, they would Did no one else see the Nazi flag overhead as we came on board? Will you not go to your own sons bar mitzvah, then? Josefs mother and Ruthie were already dressed in their nice Shabbos dresses. Read More Not soldiersregular people. Each one of these characters were refugees, each with a differant and unique story. Both sides oppose ISIL, the combination of ISIS and al-Quaeda, and the Kurds, supported predominantly by the USA, are fighting ISIL as well but support neither Al-Assad or the rebels.) PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Then suddenly a woman screamed, a pistol firedpak!and the world went crazy. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. Ruthie had been born the year Adolf Hitler was elected chancellor of Germany. Mahmoud realizes it is up to him to do something. At the front of the ship are Youssef and Waleed. The steward couldnt see because of the big platter he held, and as he fumbled with the knob he lost his hold on the tray and the whole thing came crashing down with a great clatter. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. They threw Josef and Ruth on the floor once more and flicked on the overhead light. Come on, Evielets do the bathrooms on A-deck! The girls tore away, and Josef huffed. Wait here, he told her. Lets have a song, Lito said. Everything they owned was in these two backpacks. Your mother is pregnant, for one thing! Lito said. Mahmoud then makes a quick decision, asking them to take, Mahmoud: Somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea 2015, 11 days from home (2), Fatima continues to sob at having given away, Mahmoud: Somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea 2015, 11 days from home (3), and Waleed. Gratz highlights parallels between Mahmouds, Isabels, and Josefs stories: all three are locked in oppressive and dangerous situations. Get out. Ill be right behind you. It was a policewoman. Or run away. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. A large portrait of Hitler hung in the middle of the room, watching over them all. Seora Castillo, Ivns mother, was dark-skinned and curvy, and wore a white kerchief over her dreadlocks. It was a constant refrain in Castros lengthy speeches. The shadows tore down pictures, pulled drawers from their bureaus, and flung clothing everywhere. Tourists took pictures. Mahmouds mother came out of the bedroom, where shed been folding clothes, and turned off the TV. Josef tried to relax. Also, it is asked, How does Mahmoud travel to Germany? If you stood the ship on end, it would have been taller than any building in Berlin. "Refugee Characters: Mahmoud Bishara." LitCharts. They were supposed to be on holiday, seeing ancient ruins and beautiful Greek beaches, not stepping over filthy, praying refugees. My darlings! He kissed the tops of their heads again and again, then jumped back. Isabel knew that, because her own father had tried and had been thrown in jail for a year. Above him, what was left of the ceiling light threw sparks. She wont take up any room!. No ambulances came to help the wounded. Maybe we shouldnt talk about drowning, Papi said, clutching to the side of the boat as they chopped into a wave. Whether you were visible or invisible, it was all about how other people reacted to you. I want to be a journalist one day. Good! the news agent said. Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 6 days, Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 8 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 10 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 11 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (3), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 14 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (4), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 17 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 2 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (1), Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (2), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 4 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Lesbos to Athens 2015, 12 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Mahmoud: Macedonia to Serbia 2015, 14-15 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15-16 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (3), Josef: Vornay, France 1940, 1 year, 1 month, 10 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (4), Mahmoud: Hungary to Germany 2015, 17 days. He sobbed with the effort of fighting off the mans fingers and hanging onto the dinghy. It took her a moment to process it, but this was really happening. Castro just said anybody who wants to can leave! Isabel felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest. Instant PDF downloads. Mahmoud: Macedonia to Serbia 2015, 14 to 15 days from home, Policemen are guarding the border from Greece to Macedonia, and, Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15 to 16 days from home, Mahmoud: Hungary 2015, 16 days from home, yelling in Arabic that they dont want their filth in Hungary either, calling them parasites., The policeman then says that they will be sent back to Serbia. I promise. Then, Mahmoud and, Mahmoud: Somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea 2015, 11 days from home (2), the bottom of the sea, and says a funeral prayer for him. The vacationers dropped their voices, and even though Mahmoud couldnt understand what they were saying, he could hear the disgust in their words. Mahmoud is a Muslim boy in Aleppo, Syria in 2015, and his family has no other choice but to leave Syria when their entire apartment building is destroyed by a missile. He was about average height for his age, and he wore a gray double-breasted pin-stripe jacket, brown trousers, and a white shirt and blue tie. She panicked, her worst fears come true, and suddenly a blinding light lit her up. (full context) .are glassy, but he is able to talk. Papa was scaring her. No! Josef cried. Ivn, nail. People are rioting in Havana! Isabel said. Too many. One of the back tires exploded, and the car swerved wildly and screeched as his dad fought to keep control of it. Papi! No ambulances came to help the wounded. It all sounded so wonderful, but when it came down to it, all Isabel really wanted was a place where she and her family could be together, and happy. The fear hed felt when they couldnt reach his father. Josef jumped, and his mother took a frightened step back. To safety. And seeing as there were so many signs around with El Presidentes head on them It was true. Lights came on in houses nearby, and curtains ruffled as people looked out at the noise. Russia, Iran, and Sunni Muslims are allied to Al-Assad and they are fighting the rebels who are backed by Turkey, the Gulf Arab States, Jordan, and partially the USA. Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 6 days, Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 8 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 10 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 11 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (3), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (1), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 14 days, Isabel: The Straits of Florida 1994, 1 day (4), Mahmoud: Izmir, Turkey 2015, 11 days (2), Josef: On the Atlantic Ocean 1939, 17 days, Isabel: Straits of Florida 1994, 2 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (1), Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (2), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 4 days, Mahmoud: The Mediterranean 2015, 11 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Lesbos to Athens 2015, 12 days (3), Isabel: Between Bahamas and Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Mahmoud: Macedonia to Serbia 2015, 14-15 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (1), Mahmoud: Serbia to Hungary 2015, 15-16 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (2), Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (3), Josef: Vornay, France 1940, 1 year, 1 month, 10 days, Isabel: Coast of Florida 1994, 5 days (4), Mahmoud: Hungary to Germany 2015, 17 days. Papi! she called. It wasnt US agents. Ivn and Seora Castillo grabbed the arms of the two policemen and pulled them on board, and they all collapsed into the bottom of the boat. Heart in his throat, skin tingling with goose bumps, Josef took the paper armband with the Star of David off his arm, slid it into the inside pocket of his jacket, and stepped through the door. They pluck Mahmoud and Fatima from the water. The only sound was the soft crack of a bat and the roar of the crowd on the television. Shed never known any other life except this one. I dont have time for games, he would tell me. There was a shattering sound in the next roomcrisssh! Not so smart now, are you, pig? one of them had said. Teachers and parents! The guards and officials threaten the refugees, but no one listens. One of the soldiers in the backseat snatched up Moms iPhone and looked at the route. The MS St. Louis had left all that behind. Isabel was eleven years old, and all lanky arms and legs. She staggered to the door of her bedroom, Hana crying in her arms. Lito too. What? We will buy tickets as we go.