On Tuesday, Nov.14, students in Cary Reichardt’s senior elective Holocaust Studies class enjoyed a special yom iyun at The Museum of Jewish Heritage in Battery Park. The day’s program began as students were divided into two groups for docent-led tours of the museum’s core exhibit about the destruction of European Jewry. Both docents were impressed by the students’ knowledge concerning many of the topics covered in the exhibit and the insightful questions they asked.

After a short lunch break, the highlight of the day was the talk by Holocaust survivor Ruth Pagursky. Not a sound could be heard in the room as the students sat captivated as she spoke about her horrific experiences. Her message was clear—she was a survivor, not a victim. Although it was so difficult for the class to end their time with Pagursky, an added bonus for the day’s program was a tour of the special visiting exhibit, Operation Finale: The Capture and Trial of Adolf Eichmann. It was fascinating to learn just how the Israeli government was able to track down the “engineer of the Final Solution.” This was truly an interactive experience as students were able to examine Mossad artifacts from the operation itself. TABC appreciates that Dr. Paul Radensky, director of education at the museum (and parent of TABC alumni Asher ‘11 & Binyamin ‘15), arranged this special day for its students.