The Nazi Hunters

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Despite the numerous obstacles and difficulties in locating Eichmann, multiple political actors persisted in the face of adversity.

• In the opinion of the Israeli and Jewish authorities, why was it necessary to capture Adolf Eichmann? (topic sentence)
• Why was it necessary to have Eichmann put on trial in Israel, instead of Germany? Explain your reasoning with supporting details from the text.
• How does the necessity and location of the Eichmann trial link to the theme of Justice for the Victims of the Holocaust?

2. After finally locating Eichmann’s whereabouts, the operative team were surprised at the perpetrator’s appearance.

• Why did Israeli security and intelligence professionals struggle with the idea that Eichmann was living in such humble conditions? (topic sentence)
• What does this say about their expectations of Eichmann, and what does this say about Eichmann himself? Explain your reasoning with supporting details from the text.