•    The person who listens to Rutchen's tale is never identified except for her gender. Invent a plausible character description for this woman, including her age, her relationship to the family, what she does for a living, and any personal qualities that you think are important.

•    In the story, Rutchen uses Israeli lira to carry out her scheme in Switzerland. At the time of the story, the lira was no longer the official Israeli currency; the government had issued the shekel to replace it. Investigate the history of currency and coinage in the United States. When and how did use of the dollar come about? What currency was in use before the United States achieved its independence?

•    Research Switzerland's role in World War II, including the controversy over the valuables many Jewish families from all over the...