Last week, the Naaleh community, including students, parents and faculty, had the honor of attending the highly anticipated presentation of the “Names, not Numbers©” film, which marked the culmination of a year-long effort in studying and researching the Holocaust. A group of 26 dedicated sophomores and juniors committed themselves to learning about this dark period in history and producing a professional documentary. Throughout the year, the students delved deep into their subjects’ biographies, historical context and geographic locations in preparation for the interviews, which took place in December. Each of the four groups had the privilege of recording a Holocaust survivor’s unique story, including those of Michael Epstein, Judy Lefkovits, Helen Mermelstein and Ruth Mermelstein. These individuals generously shared their experiences before, during and after the Holocaust. The final video impressed everyone with its quality and content, leaving parents, faculty and students in awe. The students themselves expressed how participating in the “Names, Not Numbers©” project has been a deeply meaningful and educational experience.

“Names, Not Numbers©” is an interactive, multimedia Holocaust project created by educator Tova Fish-Rosenberg and is generously supported by a prominent national foundation. To date, about 8,000 students have interviewed and filmed 6,000 survivors and World War II veterans throughout the United States, Canada and Israel. Over 850 classes have produced full-length documentary films that have been accepted into the archives of Holocaust museums and universities. Find out more at www.namesnotnumbers.org.