Perhaps one of the most popular cliches, “learn from the past” accurately describes what 100 freshmen did Feb. 21. The catastrophic event of the Holocaust sparked countless books, documentaries and museums in order to preserve the memory of those lost in this tragedy. One such location, the NSU: Holocaust Reflection and Resource Center (HRRC) offers a visually-stimulating Holocaust experience. Freshmen had the opportunity to visit this memorial Feb. 21.
NSU reached out to the club Tikkun Olam to inform them of this new, available-to-schools resource, and the club chose to seize the opportunity. Club sponsor Mrs. Marisa Behar, along with Mrs. Jessica Burns, Mrs. Jody Schiller, Mrs. Linda Sibio and Mr. Wayne Lenoff, chaperoned the trip.
Since the HRRC can only accommodate 100 students at a time, Tikkun Olam decided to focus on the class of 2021. The 9th grade class had previously read Night by Elie Wiesel in their English 1 class. “This will broaden their exposure to Holocaust education,” Behar said.
Led by a docent-guided tour at the HRRC, students watched the film “The Search for the White Rose,” a 30-minute documentary made by the University of Munich Nazi-Resistance Group, listened to an eyewitness Holocaust survivor testimony, saw a presentation of The Auschwitz Album (the only known artifact documenting how the selection process impacted families) and had the ability to explore an instructional session on library research.
“This trip was an eye opener for me,” freshman Camilla Greppi said. “It allowed me to see the Holocaust in a different light and get a true feeling of what it was like to live through this horrible time.”
To preview the exhibit on display at the HRCC, visit http://holocausteducationfund.com/holocaust-center.html.
