Never Again: 7th Graders Visit US Holocaust Museum for New Perspective

By: Jenny R. '14, Communications Intern
Last week, BT’s seventh graders traveled to Washington D.C. to tour the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The trip was a summation of their unit on the Holocaust in class, which focused on many different facets of the Holocaust, including Hitler’s rise to power, the life of Jews in concentration camps, and first-hand stories like Anne Frank’s.

The students learned new information about the Holocaust at the museum as well. Jason S. ‘19 learned more about the other groups persecuted by the Nazis, like the Romani people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, disabled people, and homosexuals. Eitan M. ‘19 learned a wealth of new information on the Nazi trials after the war, especially Eichmann’s trial.

However, the museum offered the students a more mature understanding of the horrors of the Holocaust. Jason S. notes that younger children don't typically know the full story: “They just say [the Nazis] weren’t treating us nicely, but when you go to the museum, it’s a whole new perspective.” Jonathan A. ‘19 agrees with this sentiment, relating it to his studies this year: “While we were reading [Anne Frank], I thought that they were so unlucky to have to be hiding, but in reality, they were the lucky ones, since they were able to stay alive for so much longer, and it was so much worse for other Jews at the time.”

The Holocaust Museum is divided into different rooms, with personal stories, artifacts, and photographs lining the walls. Mr. Stevens remarked that it was “almost a funereal atmosphere.” Each student reacted differently to different parts of the museum. Eitan M., for example, was particularly touched by a set of pajamas that a young girl wore while in hiding. Grace S. ‘19 was more moved by seeing piles of dirt from each of the concentration and death camps. She said, “It made me remember how our ancestors went through this horrible thing, and we have to do everything to make sure it never happens again.” Brooke G. ‘19 learned a similar lesson, explaining that “we need to speak up nowadays, we should speak up when we see something wrong.”

The teachers who chaperoned the trip were all very impressed with the depth of understanding the students had during the trip, Rabbi Marvin remarked that “there is no question it made an impression on many of them.” At the end of the trip, the grade gathered in the Remembrance Hall and Rabbi Marvin said El Maleh Rachamim, a funeral prayer, and three girls from the seventh grade recited it in English. The service was so moving that many passerby came to watch and listen to the prayer.

Mrs. Posten remarked that “the students all left the museum with a profound respect and appreciation for life.”