• What happened during this period?: Jewish individuals were accused of murdering a Christian child, Sebastian New for Passover ritual

• This is an event that actually occurred based on trial records during this time

• Blood Libel History:

  • Medieval accusations that Jews used Christian blood in matzah

  • This led to massacres across Europe 

  • Examples: Norwich (1144), Trent (1475), Damascus (1840)

• Why does this matter? This shows a deep historical root of antisemitism across the globe

• Venice established the first ever Jewish ghetto in 1516

• The word "ghetto" comes from Venetian (iron foundry location)

• Jews were locked in at night and guarded

• The Jews were required to wear yellow badges

• They were of absolute economic necessity, but were socially excluded (banking and moneylending)

• These ghettos were overcrowded and unsanitary

• This connects to the novel due to the fact that it shows a pattern of using Jews whilst excluding them

The timeline Eva experienced:

• Deteriorating conditions throughout the 1930s

• The ghettoization and deportation throughout the 1940s

• Concentration camps such as Auschwitz are implied

• Death marches as camps evacuated

• Liberation by British forces

Six million Jews were murdered during the holocaust throughout the usage of gas chambers and various other methods. The ones that survived experienced severe survivor guilt and trauma. Daily life in the camps consisted of horrific forced labor and starvation along with disease and unsanitary conditions.

Uncle Stephan's work in Cyprus:

• British detained Jewish refugees trying to reach Palestine

  • 50,000+ held in Cyprus camps from 1946-1949

  • British limited immigration

  • Illegal immigration

  • Conditions MUCH better than concentration camps but still confined

• During this time the British Mandate was ending

• Operations Moses (1984) and Operation Solomon (1991) occured in order to airlift Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) to Israel

• It was presented as a rescue mission

• The reality of the situation was gruesome, with many of the Ethiopian Jews facing harsh racism and unemployment

• Raised questions of who counts as a "real" Jew

  • Malka experienced culture shock and racism along with unemployment despite being well qualified