Tenth Grade Visits Holocaust Remembrance Center at Temple Sinai in Summit

On Monday, January 27, the tenth grade took a trip to the Holocaust Remembrance Center (HRC) at Summit’s Temple Sinai. The HRC is a memorial that holds a repository of objects, collections, and memories and serves as l’dor v’dor — a link between generations — so the reality of what happened and the lessons to be learned are never forgotten.

This visit was spearheaded in fall 2023 by the Upper School’s Jewish Cultural Society and has since expanded as an opportunity for the entire tenth grade during History 10’s Holocaust curriculum.

Students heard from Rabbi Glazer, who led a session about Judaism and Judaica, and learned about Peter Lederman, a Holocaust survivor and former member of Temple Sinai. The students then examined enlarged photographs in a Gallery Walk, and were encouraged to make observations and pose questions. To close the visit, the group heard from Sue Lederman, Peter’s wife and a Holocaust survivor herself. This was the students’ second time meeting Sue, as she spoke with the Upper School following the Jewish Cultural Society’s first trip to the HRC.

“The timing was perfect,” says Upper School history teacher Trish Carleton, “as the visit coincided with International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The students were very moved, and were able to connect a lot of what we’d just studied to the stories they heard.” 

On their return to Kent Place, seniors Makena Singer and Louisa Gordon, co-presidents of the Jewish Cultural Society, led a debriefing session with the tenth-graders.

“My generation will probably be the last to hear firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors, so it’s important to spread the message to ‘never forget,’” says Makena. “I think that’s exactly what this trip did. When the tenth-grade students shared what it meant to them, many emphasized the importance of retelling the stories to remember the past.”

Makena and Louisa led the students through an activity called Build a Butterfly. The Build a Butterfly project, the prompt explains, takes one of history’s darkest moments to teach about hope, resilience, and kindness in order to help develop the courage to stand up to injustice in today’s world, and to honor the memory of the children who created words during the silence and colors in the dark.

Each student received an ID card with a child’s story. Students then cut out the child’s picture, pasted it on one side of a cardstock butterfly, and wrote words that describe the child. On the other side, they offered personal connections and decorated the butterflies in the child’s memory. The butterflies are now on display all around school.

“Holocaust education is so important, especially today,” says Louisa, “which is why we’re incredibly grateful for this experience. Hearing the survivors’ stories gave me chills. Having the firsthand experience alongside the Kent Place Holocaust curriculum is extremely impactful.”