7th grade class update

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

 This week, we continued our unit about the Holocaust.  Throughout our unit, we have found that our students have struggled to grasp the enormity of the number "6,000,000," so we read the stories of individuals who perished in the Holocaust.  The stories that we read were about people of varying ages, backgrounds, and experiences, which provided a way for the students to humanize the overwhelming horrors of the Shoah.  

 We continued by watching the movie "Paperclips," a film about Holocaust education, and then had 2 safety drills. We discussed the fact that each paperclip represents an extinguished life. We also talked about prejudice and discrimination. When we returned from the safety drills we talked about why we went to/plan to gather in  the lower level in the event of bomb threat and other questions that arose. 

Lastly, we learned about the ghettoization of Eastern European Jewry as an intermediary step towards the Final Solution.  We discussed how it would feel to be separated from the rest of a city and crammed into crowded living spaces.  The students were particularly struck by the overcrowding in the ghettos, as we learned that the Warsaw Ghetto held over 400,000 Jews in 1.3 square miles, which is the same area of Central Park.

 Please let us know if your child has an particular concerns or questions that you would like us to address.

We hope you can join us for our class visit to the Holocaust Memorial Center on Sunday, March 26 at 9:30 am. This is a parent and child together visit.

 

Best,

Morah Hollenberg and Moreh Fidel