Teenagers learn about Holocaust from its survivorsTHE RECORDSTAFF WRITERNEW YORK — A group of teenagers and parents from a Franklin Lakes temple toured a Holocaust exhibit Sunday at the Jewish Heritage Museum with a group of survivors for whom the photographs and documents were memories – not historical artifacts.
The field trip was the culmination of an oral history project begun in March. About 35 seventh- and eighth-grade members of Barnert Temple interviewed 17 survivors, recording their stories on audiotape and in their own personal essays.
"The survivors feel really good about the fact that this is their legacy, and the new generation is going to be able to take it with them," said Leah Kaufman, executive director of Jewish Family Services of North Jersey. "On the students' side, they learned so much about the history of that time. The history books don't even cover half the stuff they learned from the survivors"
Kaufman and Sara Losch, director of lifelong learning at Barnert, developed the oral history program at the temple.
For the survivors, the museum exhibits were vivid reminders of their own histories.
"Memories were coming back from childhood," said Olga Jaeger, 80, of Fair Lawn. She added later, "There are days when I feel
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The field trip was the culmination of an oral history project begun in March. About 35 seventh- and eighth-grade members of Barnert Temple interviewed 17 survivors, recording their stories on audiotape and in their own personal essays.
"The survivors feel really good about the fact that this is their legacy, and the new generation is going to be able to take it with them," said Leah Kaufman, executive director of Jewish Family Services of North Jersey. "On the students' side, they learned so much about the history of that time. The history books don't even cover half the stuff they learned from the survivors"
Kaufman and Sara Losch, director of lifelong learning at Barnert, developed the oral history program at the temple.
For the survivors, the museum exhibits were vivid reminders of their own histories.
"Memories were coming back from childhood," said Olga Jaeger, 80, of Fair Lawn. She added later, "There are days when I feel
• Team from Teaneck wins science award THE RECORD
• Going Paperless THE PARENT PAPER