Students in TABC’s Holocaust Studies class are constantly encouraged to personalize what they are learning as much as possible. Their teacher, Mrs. Cary Reichardt, believes there is no better way to ensure that their commitment to zachor, remember, and never let it happen again, stays with them long after high school. This week the students were privileged to begin an inquiry based learning project with Rabbi Benjamin Yablok, a renowned educator, historian and, yes, father of Head of School Rabbi Asher Yablok.

Rabbi Yablok (senior) spent many years amassing a broad collection of artifacts from throughout Jewish history and created a virtual Jewish Museum online. He graciously agreed to share a portion of his Holocaust era collection with the students at TABC. In addition to allowing students to actually hold and examine these precious remnants of European Jewry’s past, Rabbi Yablok prepared guiding questions for students to ponder and answer.

He and Mrs. Reichardt circulated among the student research teams, reminding them to look for clues within their artifact and refer to historical information learned throughout the course in order to draw their conclusions. Each team had the opportunity to display their artifact and share their observations with the class. There is no doubt that this unique hands-on opportunity to examine this tragic period in our people’s history has made a great impression on the students. What better way could there be to encourage students to think like historians, as well? Many thanks to Rabbi Yablok for sharing his collection, and his expertise, with our students.