On Thursday, June 13, HANC Middle School held its Names, Not Numbers© program. Names, Not Numbers is a copyrighted oral history film project and curriculum that Mrs. Tova Fish-Rosenberg created that takes the teaching of the Holocaust and its lessons well beyond many previous efforts. Through the Names, Not Numbers© program, HANC’s eighth grade students had the opportunity to document the teachings of the Holocaust and address questions about an individual’s responsibility to humanity.
The night began with a dessert reception for the eighth grade students, their families, and the survivors and their families. This allowed everyone to interact with each other. In fact, the inter-generational component is a key component of the program.
After dinner, the lights were turned off and it was time for the feature presentation. The students interviewed Mr. Betzalel Fixler, Mrs. Blanche Fixler, Mrs. Rachel Gleitman, Mrs. Ruth Gruener, Rabbi Jacob Jungreis, and Mrs. Reha Sokolow. At the end of the DVD, there was loud applause, and when the survivors were asked to come to the front for a final time, the crowd of people erupted. Afterward, parents and students were effusive in their praise of this most powerful evening. May the parents and students always pass down the testimony from generation to generation.
Names, Not Numbers© is generously supported by a prominent national foundation. The following people sponsored, as well: the Daitch family, the Diamond family, the Engelsohn family, the Fuld family, Penny Kraut & Paul Reinstein, Ruchi & Tsvi Kushner, the Koppel family, the Lefkowitz family, and the Newman family. A special thank you to Tova and Dov Rosenberg for their indefatigable efforts with this program.
The Names, Not Numbers© at HANC 2018-19 documentary will be included in the archives of The National Library of Israel in Jerusalem, Yad Vashem, and Yeshiva University’s Mendel Gottesman Library.