Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School art students visit Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center in Glen Cove

Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway High School students in the Art Institute program visited the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center in Glen Cove on April 1.

Helen Turner, HMTC’s educational director, presented a lecture during a tour, which began with students viewing photographs taken before World War II of individuals who would later become Holocaust survivors. Many of the children, teens or young adults, were the same ages then as the students are today.

Turner presented details to the students about the history of World War I, Germany’s role, Hitler’s rise to power and Nazi tyranny. The students learned that Hitler consolidated his base of power by eliminating political opponents. Persecution of the Jews soon followed. 

The students also saw many concentration camp photos that illustrated the deplorable conditions, gaunt slave laborers and structures designed for exterminating people. The photos reinforced the fact that Hitler and the Nazis were fueled by hatred and driven to cruelty, violence and murder. 

Although Jews were the primary targets, they resisted Nazi oppression both collectively and as individuals, including underground movements and uprisings. In some instances prisoners escaped to join partisan units. 

The students then met Steven Berger, a New York resident and Holocaust survivor who grew up in Hungary. He told several moving stories about how he survived. He said that he felt lucky to have made it through such an horrific experience.

The HAFTR art students had their artwork displayed in a gallery inside the museum.  The exhibit’s theme was “The Hidden Stories of Artifacts from the Holocaust.” 

HAFTR students Nechama Hillel — first place, Julia Mann — second place, Ashley Kanarek — third place and Yali Miller — Honorable Mention, were presented awards and certificates.

The students believe it was a moving experience and day that they will never forget. The students can now share what they learned and experienced with others and, in so doing, become upstanders as opposed to bystanders.