On January 17, the eighth graders of SAR Academy had the opportunity to partake in a very meaningful program with the eighth grade students of Atmosphere Academy, a charter school in the Bronx.

The program was designed to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and in particular, to commemorate the events of the 1963 March on Washington, including Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Together, the students delved into lessons portraying the immense impact that Dr. King had on, not only his generation, but, the generations of the future. The lessons also explored the impact that Jewish community leaders had on the civil rights movement, and how their experiences in Nazi Germany inspired them to be vocal supporters of equal rights.

Perhaps even more important than the formal lessons, the program offered an opportunity for eighth graders to connect and bond with people who they were not necessarily comfortable or familiar with, and opened up the students to a range of perspectives on the civil rights movement that they would not normally appreciate. Students were able to both share their own opinions and take in the opinions of other people from many different backgrounds.

The type of communal bonding that was seen in Wednesday’s program is not only vitally important, but also carries out the vision that Dr. King dedicated his life to achieve: a vision in which all people could come together as a community regardless of their ethnic or cultural background. The eighth graders certainly learned a lot, and all involved would agree that the experience was incredibly valuable.

By Adar Marcus (eighth grade, SAR Academy)