Educator’s Tool Kit
We Share The Same Sky is a project from documentary storyteller Rachael Cerrotti that tells the story of her decade-long journey to retrace her grandmother’s wartime history. Each retelling has been produced with educators in mind to be a resource that is equally engaging for adults and students alike. The story is a lens into the intergenerational impact of war through a granddaughter’s relationship to her grandmother’s archive. The story is a resource for educators teaching units on the Holocaust and Genocide, classes engaged in family history projects, as well as literature and writing courses.
There are many ways to engage with this story which include an award winning memoir, narrative podcast, classroom curriculums and workshops. If you have any questions or want to discuss a collaboration, reach out to rachaelcerrotti@gmail.com
THE PODCAST
To listen to episodes, read transcripts and learn more about the show, visit: www.sharethesamesky.com/podcast
We Share the Same Sky is a seven episode narrative podcast produced in partnership with USC Shoah Foundation. It was the first-ever narrative podcast based on a Holocaust survivor’s testimony. The show was listed as one of the best podcasts of 2019 by HuffPost, as a “Show We Love” by Apple Podcasts and as "Reader’s Pick” by Vulture Magazine. The fourth episode of the series was selected as a runner-up for an audio award in prose category from The Missouri Review. It was featured on other podcasts such as WBUR’s Kind World and Israel Story. We Share The Same Sky is available to be taught in classrooms worldwide and comes with free ready-to-use companion educational resources developed by USC Shoah Foundation’s award-winning educational programs, IWitness and Echoes & Reflections.
Some Frequently asked questions
What student is the podcast suitable for? This podcast and the classroom resources were developed for high school students. It can be used with younger grades, but it’s suggested for teachers to review the show and choose clips that feel relevant and age appropriate.
Where can I listen to the podcast? We Share the Same Sky is available for streaming and download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and most podcast streaming services, as well as directly on this website. There are clips cut and embedded into the curriculums for easy use.
Where to find companion resources?: IWitness Curriculum • Echoes & Reflections.
Is there any foul language? There is a swear in the first and sixth episode.
Cost: Free
THE BOOK
We Share The Same Sky: A Memoir of Memory & Migration was published in 2021 and is Rachael’s debut book. It won the Maine Literary Award, was shortlisted for the 2022 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and was listed as one of the best books of the month by Apple Books. It is available in hardcover and paperback, as well as on audiobook and ebook. A second edition of the paperback was released in 2025 specifically for educators. Read reviews here: www.sharethesamesky.com/book
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“At a time when memory of the Holocaust is endangered, We Share the Same Sky by Rachael Cerrotti offers an important, heartbreaking, and hopeful bridge between the past and our present. The author, an honest and beautifully vulnerable guide, reconstructs her grandmother's experience of displacement, survival, and defiant optimism. That survivor, Hana Dubová, described the Holocaust in her diary as "an incomprehensible black page of history". Through her retracing of her grandmother's life, as well as her own story of loss and resilience, Rachael Cerrotti helps us decode that black page. In doing so she gives us two gifts: greater knowledge of the past, and a vivid example who can inspire us to choose life.” - Ariel Burger, author of WITNESS: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom
Some Frequently asked questions
What student is the book suitable for? The book is for high school and college students. It can be used with younger grade but it’s suggested for teachers to review the book and choose excerpts that feel relevant and age appropriate.
Where can I buy the book? We Share the Same Sky is available from any local bookstore or online retailer. You can listen to the book (read by the author) or download as an e-book.
Can I buy a set for the classroom? Yes! There are discounts for bulk orders. Please reach out for more information.
Can I donate a set to the classroom? Please do!
Are there classroom resources? There are discussion questions available at the end of the book (find them online here). The book can also be used in tandem with the resources developed for the podcast. (See above)
Is there any foul language? There are a couple swears throughout the book.
CLASSROOM & COMMUNITY VISITS
Rachael offers in-person and virtual workshops and presentations for students as young as fourth grade through adult education, including training sessions for educators. You can find a comprehensive list of programming here: www.sharethesamesky.com/programming