Never Again-

Looking Back & Moving Forward:

Holocaust

Poems & Drawings

Temple Beth Elohim

7th Grade

5773

2012-2013

Contributors: Jade Bacherman

Gregory Baron

Alex Barron

Emily Belt

Noam Benjamin

Margot Berman

Jared Bo

Hannah Bordenstein

Olivia Brasher

Chloe Braunstein

Jack Briney

Jordan Briney

Jason Bussgang

Nina Collins

Jordan Cyker

Noah Ente

Ana-Natalia Epstein

Noah Evantash

Hailey Feinzig

Sophie Fennell

Olivia Fennell

Jason Fischman

Jake Fischman

TK Fischman

Julia Forman

Emma Frank

Jessica Friedman

Jonah Garnick

Owen Gavis

Teddy Gelb

Ben Gilarde

Lidia Goldberg

Rachel Gordon

Hallie Gordon

Sarah Gotbetter

Lucas Grossman

Ayla Rose Hadley

Natalie Harder

Julia Herman

Mitchell Hernandez

Mattea Horne

Adam Hurwitz

Zoe Jackowitz

Julia Jesurum

Julia Joseph

Asa Kaplan

Morgan Karger

Hannah Katzman

Alexander Kinsella

Samantha Komack

Ilana Koppel

Andrew Kreiss

Ethan Krop

Sophie Krop

Nate Lanza

Zachary Levin

Jacob Levine

Samantha Levy

Tommy Lieberman

Emily London

Charles Lowell

Adrie Luster

Allie Maltzman

Jon Marcus

Brooke Marks-Hackel

Sofia Mina

Alec Mitrokostas

Kaylie Moskovit

Jessica Mulder

Hannah Nesson

Alexander Norman

Tyler Norris

Madeline Olton

Sylvan Pappalardo

Sydney Paul

Avery Phillips

Josh Poresky

William Rosen

Matthew Rosenblum

Jillian Rothman

Rachel Segel

Kyle Shoulkin

Evan Silver

Danny Silverston

Anna Singer

Noah Skelton

Tara Snapper

Sydney Soloway

Norman Jack Spector

Tahlia Spiegel

Jared Stier

Noah Tanzman

Seth Turk

Joshua Viktorov

Kendra Wagner

Ethan Weinhaus

Jake Wexelblatt

Jacob Wolfson

Danielle Yanoff

Roxanne Zalkind

Ben Zimmerman

The 7th grade students of BM3T were fortunate to hear Holocaust survivor Dr. Maurice (Reis) Vanderpol speak about his experiences hiding in Holland during World War II. Dr. Vanderpol spoke at TBE on both a Tuesday and Wednesday evening so all students and their parents could learn from his story.

TBE faculty, religious staff, and administrators are grateful that our 7th graders still have the opportunity to hear Holocaust survivors recount their stories. This is the third year that Dr. Maurice (Reis) Vanderpol, age 91, a retired psychiatrist living in Needham and involved in Facing History and Ourselves, has spoken at TBE. For more than 30 years, Brookline based Facing History and Ourselves has been dedicated to combating racism, anti-Semitism, and prejudice, and nurtures democracy through educational programs worldwide.

We thank Dr. Vanderpol for his time and insightful presentations and look forward to learning from his experiences.

This innovative Holocaust Literary Project, entitled Never Again -_Looking Back

and Moving Forward, is a culmination of the Temple Beth Elohim BM3T Seventh

Grade Holocaust Curriculum. The students at TBE have worked hard this year to

understand the enormity of what happened to the Jewish people and other minority

groups during the time of the Holocaust. All the work in this book is original and comes

out of meaningful discussion and reflection by both students and teachers in the eight

Holocaust Classes at TBE, taught under the direction of teachers Anne Crystal, Roberta

Molliver, Dale Norman, Penni Rochwerger, Mara Rubinstein, Ben Harris, Hannah

Richman, Rachel Rothschild & Rafi Spitzer. Topics of note that were explored in class

included: not being a bystander, but rather an upstander; how does one deal with and

respond to issues of bullying, skape-goating, stereotyping, and racism; and how does one

ensure that what happened in the Holocaust never happens again.

The following quotation by Holocaust Survivor and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate,

Elie Wiesel, sums up the lessons of the TBE Holocaust curriculum. We ask readers to

please consider his words below as they read the poems and artistic expression printed in

this book.

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and

humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the

victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” - Elie Wiesel

Special thanks go to TBE Limud and BM3T Director, Dr. Judy Avnery, who encouraged students to spend

time working, for the second year, on this in-class creative and thought-provoking project. We also thank TBE

Administrative Assistant, Heather Pellegrini, who helped us assemble Never Again -_Looking Back and

Moving Forward. Most importantly, we thank and applaud our wonderful 7th grade students for all the work

and though they put into this project. It is our hope they will keep this book safe, read it regularly, and live by

its principles in the years to come.

Teachers: Anne Crystal, Roberta Molliver, Dale Norman, Penni Rochwerger, Mara Rubinstein

Assistant Teachers: Ben Harris, Hannah Richman, Rachel Rothschild, Rafi Spitzer

The Beginning Page of Reflection

This is a page for you to express your thoughts about the Holocaust

Page of Reflection

This is a page for you to express your thoughts about the Holocaust

Journey Of Pain

By: Julia Herman

Page of Reflection

This is a page for you to express your thoughts about the Holocaust

Toward Hope

Keeping the Hunger Away

This creative and original project, Never Again – Looking Back

& Moving Forward: Holocaust Poems and Drawings – is a

testament to our 7th grade BM3T students who intensively studied

the Holocaust this year. This is the second year our 7th graders

have worked on producing this booklet. Looking at their poetry

and drawings, it is apparent that our students have connected to

this huge and disturbing topic. They are able to meaningfully draw

upon the lessons of the past and then connect what they have

learned to the present and future. Yasher Koach to them and to

members of our faculty who have also contributed artwork and

poetry to this undertaking as well as a special thank you to Holo-

caust survivor, Dr. Maurice (Reis) Vanderpol, for his presentation

to our students and parents. We are indeed fortunate to be living at

a time when our students still have the opportunity to meet and

hear Holocaust survivors.

It is indeed gratifying for us, as educators at TBE, to see the

intensity and sincerity of our students and staff.

-Dr. Judy Avnery

TBE Limud and BM3T Director

Edited By: Dale Norman, BM3T Holocaust Teacher

April 2013

Nissan 5773