After reading the novel, The Devil’s Arithmetic, and learning the historical background to the Holocaust, our students had the opportunity to learn more about a victim of the Shoah. They each chose a person of interest who either survived or perished in the Holocaust. They conducted research and formulated essays telling their stories. They also created memorials to honour the experience of their “person.” These memorials lend voice to the victim’s journey and touches on survival rather than death. Our students also had the opportunity to demonstrate their learning through leading the Yom Hashoah assembly for our Junior High students and Heschel community. Through song, poetic readings, and personal reflections, our students artistically honoured a catastrophic event in our history. This assembly empowered the lost voices of those who were persecuted under an unjust society.
