Website discontinues Anne Frank costume after critics express disgust By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.25.17 Word Count 582 Level 980L A photo of the Anne Frank costume. The name of the costume was changed to, among others, "Child's World War II Girl" after the outcry over using the name of Anne Frank, one of the more than 6 million Jews who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Photo by: Candy Apple Costumes The costume, a blue button-up dress, is topped off with a green beret and a brown shoulder bag. It's similar to the kind of clothing young girls are likely to have worn in the 1930s and 1940s, said a product description. Above was an image of a model: a brown-haired girl with a smile on her face and her hand on her waist. For $25 (plus shipping), "your child can play the role of a World War II hero" on Halloween, it promised. But the costume of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager whose diary showed the horrors of life under the Nazis, was called disrespectful by numerous critics, including major civil rights groups. So Halloweencostumes.com, an online retailer, removed the item from its website. Representatives from the company apologized. They said the company never meant to offend people. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1
Images of the costume began spreading over the weekend on social media. Costume Is Insensitive Critics were disgusted. They said the costume was insensitive and misused the memory of a victim of the Holocaust, which killed more than 6 million people during World War II. The Anti-Defamation League, or the ADL, protects the rights of Jewish people. Its St. Louis, Missouri, branch wrote on Twitter, "We learn from Anne Frank's life and death to honor her & prevent future atrocity." The ADL in Arizona said we should not devalue her memory as a costume. As the outrage swelled, Ross Walker Smith, spokesman for Halloweencostumes.com, also wrote on Twitter. "We take feedback from our customers very seriously," he wrote. "We have passed along the feedback regarding this costume, and it has been removed from the website at this time." Alexandra Devitt, a spokeswoman for the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, was also upset. She said that there are more appropriate ways to remember the life story of Anne Frank than through a Halloween costume. The costume is inappropriate and makes light of her suffering and the suffering of millions during the Holocaust. How Did Costume Even Get Made? Devitt said in a statement that the organization was pleased that Halloweencostumes.com had stopped selling the product. But the costume hasn't completely disappeared from the digital marketplace. As of Tuesday, the outfit remains for sale on some sites. It's listed under other product names, including "World War II Evacuee Girl" and "Child's World War II Girl." Amazon.com, for instance, is offering the differently named costumes through third-party sellers. Halloweencostumes.com marketed the attire as "WW2 Anne Frank Girls Costume." This made people mad. The ADL national organization was surprised that the costume even got made. "Thankfully this costume has been removed from the market," it said on Twitter. Anne Frank's Diary Reached Millions Frank died of a disease called typhus, commonly suffered by people during war or times of hunger. She died in 1945 at age 15 at a prison camp in Germany. She and her family were captured the year before. Nazis discovered them hiding behind a movable bookcase. They had spent more than two years hiding in a secret area at the back of her father's store in Amsterdam, which is in Europe. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2
Before World War II was over, 7 of the 8 hiders were dead, including Frank. Her father, Otto, survived and spent the rest of his life trying to figure out who tipped off the Nazis about their hiding place. Otto Frank also published his daughter's diary. It showed the rise of anti-jewish views in the Netherlands and has been translated into 67 languages. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3
Quiz 1 Read the section "Costume Is Insensitive." Select the paragraph from the article that suggests that consumers played an important role in stopping sales of the costume. 2 Which statement is a MAIN idea of the article? Anne Frank survived the Holocaust for more than two years before being taken to a concentration camp. The Anne Frank Halloween costume remains available under several different names. The Anne Frank Halloween costume features a beret and blue dress that look like clothing worn by young girls during the 1930s and 1940s. Halloweencostumes.com stopped offering an Anne Frank Halloween costume after outcries from several organizations. 3 Which sentence from the article supports the idea that Anne Frank's diary has become an important tool for learning about the Holocaust? But the costume of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager whose diary showed the horrors of life under the Nazis, was called disrespectful by numerous critics, including major civil rights groups. The costume is inappropriate and makes light of her suffering and the suffering of millions during the Holocaust. Frank died of a disease called typhus, commonly suffered by people during war or times of hunger. It showed the rise of anti-jewish views in the Netherlands and has been translated into 67 languages. 4 Which sentence from the article would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article? The costume, a blue button-up dress, is topped off with a green beret and a brown shoulder bag. Images of the costume began spreading over the weekend on social media. But the costume hasn't completely disappeared from the digital marketplace. Before World War II was over, 7 of the 8 hiders were dead, including Frank. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4
Answer Key 1 Read the section "Costume Is Insensitive." Select the paragraph from the article that suggests that consumers played an important role in stopping sales of the costume. Paragraph 8: As the outrage swelled, Ross Walker Smith, spokesman for Halloweencostumes.com, also wrote on Twitter. "We take feedback from our customers very seriously," he wrote. "We have passed along the feedback regarding this costume, and it has been removed from the website at this time." 2 Which statement is a MAIN idea of the article? Anne Frank survived the Holocaust for more than two years before being taken to a concentration camp. The Anne Frank Halloween costume remains available under several different names. The Anne Frank Halloween costume features a beret and blue dress that look like clothing worn by young girls during the 1930s and 1940s. Halloweencostumes.com stopped offering an Anne Frank Halloween costume after outcries from several organizations. 3 Which sentence from the article supports the idea that Anne Frank's diary has become an important tool for learning about the Holocaust? But the costume of Anne Frank, the Jewish teenager whose diary showed the horrors of life under the Nazis, was called disrespectful by numerous critics, including major civil rights groups. The costume is inappropriate and makes light of her suffering and the suffering of millions during the Holocaust. Frank died of a disease called typhus, commonly suffered by people during war or times of hunger. It showed the rise of anti-jewish views in the Netherlands and has been translated into 67 languages. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 5
4 Which sentence from the article would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article? The costume, a blue button-up dress, is topped off with a green beret and a brown shoulder bag. Images of the costume began spreading over the weekend on social media. But the costume hasn't completely disappeared from the digital marketplace. Before World War II was over, 7 of the 8 hiders were dead, including Frank. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 6