On Thursday, December 24, the whole eighth grade began a project called Names Not Numbers©. In the program, students interview Holocaust survivors and edit the interviews, which are then made into a documentary.
The program began with powerful words from Rabbi Hecht, Middle School Principal, about the importance of the program. He explained that as we move farther and farther from the Holocaust, it is even more important for us to hear directly from survivors. Rabbi Hecht also explained the meaning behind the name of the project. The Nazis tried to remove each Jew’s identity and turn them into just a number. By the students speaking to the survivors and documenting their experiences, the people become people and not just a number.
The next speaker was Mrs. Tova Rosenberg, the creator of Names, Not Numbers©. Mrs. Rosenberg gave an inspirational speech about how important this project is and how lucky we are to get the chance to participate in this program.
We continued the program by watching a documentary of a Holocaust survivor, to get an idea of how the interviews should be conducted. It was very emotional, especially when the survivor recounted how his brother came and met him after he survived and was in Israel. The survivor was crying on the video and it was very emotional in the room.
It is so important that we have the opportunity to be involved in this important project to ensure that the Holocaust survivors’ legacies live on, and that the Holocaust is never forgotten.
