The Holocaust project Names, Not Numbers came to Yeshiva Tiferes Moshe this past week, as a number of eighth grade students interviewed Holocaust survivors. Last Monday, while rotating the handling of the cameras, the boys heard the riveting stories of survival from Mrs. Sarah Schonfeld and Mr. Gavriel Blau, as they interviewed them about their lives before, during, and after the war.
They heard firsthand how Mrs. Schonfeld, as a young child, fled her home, and how she and her family wound up in Siberia. Mr. Blau, during his interview, described the trials and tribulations he went through as he was imprisoned in several different concentration camps. The following day, several boys interviewed Mrs. Sorah Richter of Kew Gardens, who authored the book Silent Children. S
he told of the horrific events she lived through as a child of the Holocaust, hiding out in a hayloft with her mother and brother.
The survivors not only shared their experiences and losses but expressed their hopes that future generations learn from them about having emunah and bitachon. In their testimonials, these eighth graders expressed the awe they felt as these heilige survivors spoke. These interviews, along with Rebbetzin Small’s interview, which was conducted last year, will be featured in our upcoming documentary, Names, Not Numbers.