June 11, 2010
Letter to Editor,
Last night, June 10, 2010, I attended the "graduation" ceremony of the students who participated in the Washington, D.C. Trip to the National Holocaust Museum (can’t remember the exact name) and other sites.
This trip was the brainchild of the late Dr. Israel Asper, and became the impetus to creating the Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg.
Aside from the Gray Academy students, who took the trip at a different time, kids from schools all over Winnipeg attended 9 two hour sessions with Renee Kaplan (title and orginization details to follow) and were honoured to listen to the personal testimonies of Holocaust survivours.
The Jewish kids aren’t really the focus of this amazing story. It’s the students of the "inner city schools" that impressed me the most. Kids obviously from lower-income, less fortunate homes. Kids of every cultural background and religion-aboriginal, african, phillipines, asian….groups of kids who gleaned so much about the suffering of the Jewish people and other atrocities of the time. They learned about antisemitism, hate, tolerance, and hope. They were infused with hope for the future. They learned that one person can change the world. It was amazing.
Each group presented an account of their experiences. There were diary entries read, power point presentations, movies, speeches. I was very impressed, at one point, in tears.
One school, General Wolfe School created an amazing power point presentation. These kids were incredible, so I sought them out after and told them and their guidance counselor, Laurie Miller, how their words affected me. I asked for a copy of their presentation and was introduced to the creator, a slight, tiny girl named Mira who promised she’d burn a copy for me. I hope to pick it up today. I’d love for you to see it.
Other inner city schools were also present and equally effecting. R.B. Russel, Children of the Earth, Tec Voc, Gordon Bell and others.
My feeling is that these children understood something that the more priviliged kids didn’t grasp in the same way. They know adversity. They know isolation. They know blanket judgment. The public school Jewish kids and other students of the suburbs certainly were affected, but their presentations weren’t nearly as emotionally charged, weren’t prepared in such a way as the kids of the inner city schools.
This doesn’t reflect well on the children who are so blessed in their lives that they are simply immune to their gifts, but the real story is that of the inner city students who were truly honoured to have had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. and then share their experiences with us.
I can’t wait for you to see the CD.
Aviva Cohen