HAFTR 7th grade at Anne Frank exhibit

HAFTR seventh graders visited the Anne Frank exhibit at the Center for Jewish History, bringing Jewish memory, identity and core HAFTR values to life.

In their lashon classes, students have been learning about Anne and her diary as the voice of a Jewish girl not so different from themselves. Through her words, they’ve explored hope, fear, courage and the quiet strength of holding onto one’s identity even in the darkest times.

At the exhibit, students viewed artifacts, images and recreations of her story.

The trip was a step in the students’ ongoing journey of Holocaust education. Next year, they will have the opportunity to participate in the Names, Not Numbers program.

This exhibit helped students build a more personal connection so that future encounters with survivors’ stories will be approached with greater sensitivity, understanding and respect for the dignity of every individual.

Students will revisit this period in greater depth in social studies classes later this year. Those lessons will be layered with the emotional understanding that comes from having “met” Anne.

Throughout the trip, the seventh graders showed maturity, thoughtfulness and care for the material and for the sacred responsibility of engaging with Jewish history. They asked meaningful questions, reflected deeply and honored the space with the seriousness it deserved.

Anne Frank’s diary is often described as a story of tragedy, but it is also a story of the enduring human spirit. HAFTR students are learning to remember, to feel and to carry the Jewish people’s story forward with pride, empathy and purpose.