One of the most unforgettable experiences for Rabbi Pesach Raymon Yeshiva eighth graders during their last year at the school is their participation in the “Names, Not Numbers^©” program. This is an interactive, multi-media, Holocaust oral history film documentary project, created by educator Tova Rosenberg ( www.namesnotnumbers.org ).

Participation in “Names, Not Numbers^©” offers RPRY students the additional rich experience of learning new skills in research, interviewing and filmmaking, to enable them to capture their interviews on film. In preparation for this project, professionals in these fields mentor the students on how to make their documentary.

This year, since the COVID-19 regulations prohibit a large gathering of people, RPRY’s 2019/2020 film, “Names, Not Numbers: A Movie in the Making^©,” was streamed on YouTube on June 23. It is available for viewing through the end of July at https://tinyurl.com/y8cxzbvx.

In RPRY’s experience, the process of preparing and conducting the interviews brings out the best midot in their students. As Rabbi Daniel Loew, RPRY head of school, expressed in his introductory remarks to this year’s film: “Our students got to know survivors and to hear their stories, and in the process they were impacted by their personalities. That connection, that relationship, with the courageous individuals whom they interviewed, will be an experience that they always remember. It transcends the learning of history, allowing our students to become part of the mesorah, part of the legacy of our people. By getting to know these special individuals through the medium of their experiences in the Holocaust, our students have acquired role models they will always keep with them.”

For more information about the “Names, Not Numbers^©” program at RPRY or about the school, contact them at www.rpry.org.