Page 10 - Jewish News_January 2022

10A January 2022 FEDERATION NEWS

A letter from a Holocaust Education teacher

Editor’s note: The following is a seeing newsreels that reported on the It would not be until I was a teach- of learning with me. They also shared Town Square
thoughtful and moving letter Bette news in Europe. “We felt so helpless.” er myself that I heard of the Holocaust their stories. I want my students to see
Zaret received from Starloe Galletta, I watched the videos, alone. I was again, being taught in school. The State value in the stories of our elders. I want
a theatre director and world history 14 years old. of Florida had designated 4 grade as a them to see that we all have the same Innovative Adult Day Center
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I remember the bodies the most.
teacher from Electa Lee Magnet Mid- The piles and piles of bodies. The Holocaust instruction year and my 4 hopes and dreams. We are different but
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I grainy black and white images trans- about their trip to the Holocaust Muse- way, I hope they see that the world Town Square will be opening its first Florida
graders, for many years, reported to me
the same.
dle School in Bradenton.
do not remember the first time I
If I influence my students in any
fixed me. Without anyone to ask ques-
um, after their unit of instruction. They
learned about the Holocaust, or
location in Sarasota on January 24th!
the events that surrounded it, but I
with them the most. “All those shoes
know I knew the words, “Hitler,” “Na- tions of, all I could do was watch, and told me it was the “shoes” that stuck needs more tolerance and love, peace
cry and stare in horror. When I brought
over violence, hands helping others up
zis” and “Gas Chambers” as early as 5 the tapes back to my teacher, I just used to have feet in them,” one student over pushing others with put downs. Come visit our center at 3882 Central
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or 6 grade. I did not have any context. handed them to her. No words were told me. I realized they had a moment My classroom is a safe haven to be
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I did not know what a “Jew” was other who you are, and who you wish to be. Sarasota Parkway, Sarasota, FL 34238!
than those mentioned from the Bible I want my students to walk into the Memberships are being accepted now!
during church. I had never heard of world with their heads held high know-
Chanukah. All I had were those three ing they can make a difference in the Please call us or drop in for a tour.
words lumped together in my brain and lives of those around them.
all I knew was that they were bad. It My students still speak about the
was the end of the 1980s and until an day Holocaust survivor Felicia Liban Town Square is fashioned after a 1950's
excerpt of The Diary of Anne Frank came to visit. They now encapsulate main street, with 10 unique, immersive
was in one of my textbooks, a couple the whole of the Holocaust with this
of years later, I did not know anything face and story that they listened to, al- storefronts where our specially-trained staff
else. most without breathing. You could not
I can remember being in 8 grade hear a chair creak or a movement from will deliver engaging programming, while
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and my American History teacher the crowd. Mrs. Liban’s words floated
said she had gotten some tapes of the across time and space into another gen- providing a safe and fun environment for
recordings of the “Liberation of Con- eration that will remember. They know your loved one.
centration Camps.” We were studying many died. Too many died. They have
WWII. By this point, I had a much done the math. They still have a prob-
deeper understanding of the Holocaust. lem with the total. They cannot believe
I was in love with history and all the in- the total. NOW SCHEDULING TOURS AND ENROLLING MEMBERS - CONTACT US
BY EMAIL OR PHONE TODAY
formation I could learn. The tapes, she Electa Lee Magnet Middle School Principal Ginger Gollins, Holocaust survivor Felicia Liban When we walked out to the Daffo-
told us, were unedited, and we would and Theatre Director Starloe Galletta dil Garden, and prepared to see the first
need our parent’s permission to check spoken. No words were needed. Out like I did when I saw the piles of bod- bulb planted, representing the life of a
them out and view them. My grand- of all her classes, I was the only one ies and it has probably stuck with them child that was lost, I wasn’t the only 941-336-5061
mother granted me permission but told who asked to check them out. I was just as long as my memory has. one in tears. Seeing Mrs. Liban, with
me she would not be watching them the only one who knew the real truth. My motivation to teach Holocaust her hands in the dirt, the blue sky as
with me. “I lived during that time. I re- We shared an eyeball to eyeball look Education is twofold. I want my stu- a backdrop, gave us all hope. It was a
member.” She followed with stories of of utter sadness and walked into class dents to learn history, but more so, visual connection to those 1.5 million membershipsarasota@townsquare.net townsquare.net/sarasota
going to the movies before the war and together, silently. I want them to learn FROM history. children, the child that survived, and
How can they understand where we are the children watching her, promising
as a human family if they do not know
to never allow anything like the Holo-
J oin us for where we have been? When I started caust to happen again.
The great historian, Daniel Web-
instruction this year, the week before
Holocaust Education Week, my stu-
dents had little to no knowledge about ster, stated, “Those who do not see By Bette Zaret, Holocaust Education and Programming
themselves as a link connecting the
INTERNATIONAL anything related. Some had words, past with the future, do not perform he Jewish Federation of Sara-
sota-Manatee is immensely
HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY “Hitler” and “Nazis.” One had, “Con- their duty to the world.” We must all Tgrateful to Sarasota County
centration Camps.” No one knew what
be those links if we are to form a chain
a “Jew” was. And once they found of love, tolerance and compassion. I Schools and the School District of
Manatee County and their boards for
Bearing Witness and Being an Upstander out, they decided class by class, they want my classroom to be a door of the their partnership in helping to provide
did not think they had “ever even met
world and I most assuredly thank you
one.” One decided, “Maybe they are all for sending Mrs. Felicia Liban to walk quality Holocaust education to their
dead.” through it. students.
Thursday, January 27, 2022 It is my hope that students will Starloe M. Galletta As mandated for K-12 instruction
remain interested and seek out more Electa Lee Magnet Middle School by the State of Florida Department
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7:00PM VIA ZOOM information on their own. I was lucky Theatre Director, World History
National Geographic Certified Educator
to have a grandmother and father who
loved history and shared their passion
Guest Speaker
SUSAN EISENHOWER Generations After Group
Granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower
n December 5, the Genera- zation’s meetings have been via Zoom,
Even as the Allied Forces continued their fight, tions After Group (children of and this was the first time many of the
General Eisenhower foresaw a day when the OHolocaust survivors) met for members have met face-to-face.
horrors of the Holocaust might be denied. its first-ever Chanukah get-together at If you would like more informa-
Susan Eisenhower, author of How Ike Led will Island Park, Sarasota. On a glorious tion about the Generations After pro-
enlighten us about her grandfather’s vigilance Sunday morning, members and their gram, contact David Grace at david@ Sarasota Middle School students created their daffodil garden
to preserve the truth of the Holocaust. partners (and one dog) joined for a so- abacuswebservices.com or Liz Gellis with the names of Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust

F F or the dead Chair cial. Due to Covid, most of the organi- at lgellis54@gmail.com. of Education, November 8-12, 2021,
or the dead
was Holocaust Education Week. We
and the living,
and the living , DR. ANNA KOHEN were pleased to see so many schools
st bear witness.
we mu
we must bear witness. Register online and teachers use the Holocaust educa-
tion resources we offered on our web-
– ELIE WIESEL jfedsrq.org/events site created specifically for them. We
were also grateful to the schools that
FREE EVENT celebrated World Kindness Day by
planting a daffodil garden on their cam-
QUESTIONS? puses as part of the worldwide Daffodil
Contact Bette Zaret Project, remembering the 1.5 million
941.228.3676 children who perished in the Holo-
or bzaret@jfedsrq.org
Generations After Group members at Island Park caust. Teachers also marked the occa-