Names, Not Numbers at HAFTR Middle School

The Names, Not Numbers program at HAFTR Middle School had its finale on June 5. After a year of researching and learning how to conduct an interview, the students and survivors watched as their work was displayed on the “big screen.” This program is unique, as HAFTR Middle School is the only yeshiva to participate in this program in conjunction with public school Lawrence Middle School.

In September, the students who were chosen to participate in the program began taking weekly courses on the Holocaust. In addition to these classes, the students were brought into seminars given by Shoshana Soroka, editor of TJH, who taught them how to prepare and conduct an interview. As the months went on, the students researched their survivors and created a list of questions. In January, the students excitedly met their survivors and had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Leaving their interviews with knowledge that cannot be taught in a classroom, the students then edited their interviews in preparation for the documentary.

The final movie included segments of the five survivors’ stories and the students’ testimonials. At the final event, students, survivors and their families were given a chance to sit together and catch-up on each other’s lives. After dinner, all of our guests were invited to visit our museum before watching the documentary. There, guests were able to look at the different exhibits including “Courage to Remember,” which was donated to HAFTR by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, “Forever Engraved,” which features sculptures by Tsipora Karp and additional artifacts lent to the school by the Weiner and Wolfson families.

“That night was one of the nicest events I’ve ever been at,” said one parent who witnessed the beauty of the program and saw how the students not only learned about the Holocaust from survivors themselves, but also learned compassion and the importance of listening to others and being appreciative for what they have in life. We would like to give a special thanks to our seven survivors who took the time to speak to our students and tell their stories: Saul Blau, Martin Lifshitz, Sally Muschel, Rina Nudel, and Jakub Rybsztajn.