Josef's Journey
What country is Josef fleeing from?
Germany
What country is Isabel fleeing from?
(Cuba)
What country is Mahmoud fleeing from?
(Syria)
What is a refugee?
(A person forced to flee their country due to war, persecution, or disaster.)
What is one way each character had to make a life-or-death decision?
(Josef: choosing between himself or his sister; Isabel: jumping into the ocean to save her friend; Mahmoud: letting go of his sister in the water.)
Why does Josef’s family leave their home?
(They are Jewish and facing persecution from the Nazis.)
Why does Isabel’s family decide to leave Cuba?
(Lack of food, economic hardship, and political oppression.)
Why does Mahmoud’s family leave Syria?
(Their home is destroyed by war.)
How are Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud’s experiences as refugees similar?
(They all leave their homes in search of safety and struggle to survive.)
What lesson does Mahmoud learn about being “invisible”?
(He realizes sometimes being seen is the only way to get help.)
What ship does Josef and his family travel on?
(The MS St. Louis)
What does Isabel trade to get gasoline for their escape?
Her trumpet)
How does Mahmoud’s family travel across the Mediterranean Sea?
(They pay smugglers to take them in an overcrowded dinghy.)
What challenges do real refugees face today? (War, lack of resources, closed borders, and discrimination.)
(War, lack of resources, closed borders, and discrimination.)
How do the three stories show that history repeats itself?
(Each character faces similar struggles in different time periods.)
What happens to Josef’s father on the ship?
(He has a breakdown after being in a concentration camp.)
What happens to Isabel’s grandfather during the journey?
(He jumps into the water to lighten the boat and help them reach safety.)
What brave decision does Mahmoud make while at sea?
(He lets go of his baby sister so she has a chance to be rescued.)
Why do many refugees risk dangerous journeys instead of staying in their home countries?
(Because staying is even more dangerous than fleeing.)
How does Josef’s fate reflect the dangers of ignoring refugees?
(His ship was turned away, leading to his eventual death in the Holocaust.)
What difficult decision does Josef make at the end of his journey?
(He sacrifices himself so his sister can live.)
Where does Isabel’s family arrive at the end of their journey?
(Miami, Florida, USA)
Who takes in Mahmoud’s family at the end of the book?
(A German family—who are descendants of Josef’s sister, Ruth.)
How does Refugee show that history repeats itself?
(Each character experiences similar struggles across different time periods.)
What is one message Refugee teaches readers about the global refugee crisis?
(That refugees are people just like us, and they deserve safety and compassion.)