I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944

Zena Rosen is Max’s younger sister, who plays a crucial role in the story. Despite being only nine years old, she displays courage and resourcefulness, and she often offers emotional strength and support to her older brother as they face the horrors of the Nazi occupation together.

Physically, Zena is described as doll-like, with blue eyes, blonde curls, and round cheeks. However, her delicate outward appearance contrasts with her strong inner character. Max calls her “a doll made of steel” (9): despite looking innocent, Zena is resilient and resourceful, embodying the theme of The Resilience and Resourcefulness of Children in Extreme Circumstances. For example, in Chapter 2, she spots a robin and calls it a lucky bird, despite the dire situation she and Max are facing in the ghetto. This demonstrates her ability to find positivity, even in dark times. Later, when Max is taken by a Nazi soldier, Zena follows him, risking her safety. When they reunite with Aunt Hannah, Zena reminds Max of the robin, saying that the bird did bring them luck. In a world filled with violence, Zena’s ability to hold onto hope becomes a lifeline for both her and Max.

Zena shares a deep bond with her brother. This bond is illustrated on Page 19, where they are shown running hand in hand through the woods. When Max is injured, Zena refuses to leave him: “[T]hrough it all, Zena refused to leave her brother’s side” (77). They share a bed in the partisan camp, which highlights their closeness. Her presence and her optimism, like her belief in the robin’s luck, help to uplift Max, symbolizing the strength that even the youngest and most vulnerable individuals can offer during times of war.

Aunt Hannah is a secondary character who plays a key role in the novel. She is Max and Zena’s aunt, and Papa’s younger sister. At the beginning, Aunt Hannah is described as a carefree 19-year-old. Max reflects, “[S]he’d always been more like a friend […] than a fussy old aunt. She’d take Max and Zena on hikes, jumping with them from rock to rock, singing their favorite songs” (12). People in town gossip about Hannah, calling her wild and saying she cares more about books than finding a husband. Max knows that Hannah doesn’t want to get married: She is saving her money to go to America and tells Max they will all go together one day.

However, the war dramatically transforms her, underscoring The Impact of War on Individuals and Communities. This transformation is both physical and internal. When Max sees Hannah again, she has shorter hair and wears men’s clothes. He also notices that “her dreamy expression had hardened into one of toughness and determination” (37). She has joined the partisans to fight the Nazis, which conveys the theme of Courage and Humanity in Times of War. Hannah becomes a figure of strength for both Max and Zena. She doesn’t even flinch in Chapter 8 when she sees Zena’s injured toe and cleans the wound. The scar on Hannah’s leg, from barbed wire, symbolizes what she has endured.

At the end of the novel, Hannah marries Lev, and they move to Palestine, where they are helping to build the new Jewish nation of Israel. This conveys a message of hope after the devastation of the war, showing that even after immense suffering a new future can still be built.

Max’s father, or Papa, plays a small yet pivotal role in the story. Though he is physically absent for much of the novel, his presence looms large in Max’s life. Before his arrest, Papa owned an electrical repair shop that was destroyed by the Nazis. He was taken by the Nazis a month before the novel begins, leaving Max and Zena to survive on their own in the ghetto. Papa is portrayed as a wise and hopeful figure, whose teachings guide Max’s actions and beliefs. Max recalls happier times with his father, including playing hide and seek and the lessons Papa taught him about prejudice: “Jews are different. And some people are suspicious of what they don’t understand” (22).

When Papa reappears toward the end of the novel, it is revealed that he escaped from a Nazi train bound for a death camp, demonstrating his strength and determination. His return symbolizes hope and survival. He reassures his children of his love and resolve: “I knew I would find you” (80). Chapter 12 ends with an illustration of Papa hugging Max and Zena. This emotional moment provides closure to Max’s longing for his father throughout the story.

Papa’s decision to take his children to America reflects his desire to give them a fresh start, free from the horrors of the past. He helps Max and Zena begin a new life, offering them the chance for healing after the war.

Martin is one of the partisans Max and Zena meet during their escape, exemplifying the theme of Courage and Humanity in Times of War. He is described as “the youngest of the group—he looked about seventeen” (41), with a large stature and a quick laugh. Martin often lightens the mood, even joking about Lev having a scar on his rear end.

Martin is also brave and protective toward Max and Zena. In Chapter 11, he shoots a Nazi soldier after Max throws a rock at him and, later, he bandages Max’s wound. He shares a close bond with Aunt Hannah and Lev, and, after the war, chooses to move to Palestine with them to help build a new Jewish nation. This reflects his hope for a better future after the war.

Lev is the leader of the partisan group that Max and Zena join, embodying the theme of Courage and Humanity in Times of War. He is slightly older than Aunt Hannah and, despite his small stature, is strong and muscular. Lev is portrayed as a calm, intellectual figure, with “round glasses and a shy, bookish appearance” (37), yet he is a capable and decisive leader.

By the end of the novel, it is revealed that he and Aunt Hannah have married and are helping to build a new Jewish nation in Palestine. This underscores the idea that even in the aftermath of immense suffering, people can find hope and rebuild their lives.