A stack of thank-you letters from Greenport High School students arrived at the shul recently. The students had visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City as the culmination of their social studies unit on the Holocaust, and donations to our shul’s Yellow Candle Project had largely financed the cost of the buses to transport 80 students to the museum.

Four of the students Zoomed into a Shabbat service in May and talked about the Holocaust learning unit as a “profound experience.” The thank-you letters from many more of the museum visitors confirm that the Holocaust study was for many of the students a personal journey as well as a history lesson.

Excerpts from letters to shul member Charles Simon, Rabbi Gadi, and the Congregation:

  • The artifacts showcased were a grim reminder of the victims. Vinn
  • It is important to remember those who suffered. Jhalia
  • The trip was moving and powerful, and something I could never forget. Jayda
  • This experience will be with me forever. John
  • You allowed us to understand the depth of this event. Nyah
  • It was an honor to meet a Holocaust survivor. Luis
  • I was moved by everything in the museum. It really changed my life. Jaclyn
  • I learned so much about the Jewish heritage. Aly
  • Speaking to a survivor made me think that these terrible things didn’t happen so long ago. John
  • Thank you for information about the hardships the Nazi prisoners had experienced. Angelina
  • Being able to see the artifacts, we got a better understanding of the tragedy. Jenna and Maddie
  • I hope nobody has to suffer as they had to suffer. Jaquelin
  • I would encourage other young people to visit because it was an amazing experience. Mildred