Under the leadership of Breindy Lazor, High School Mechaneches, the High School and 8th grade students of Torah Academy of Jacksonville recently produced their own oral history documentary of the holocaust. The “Names, Not Numbers” memorial film project was made possible by the generous support of the Legacy Heritage Fund project which enables students to learn first-hand about the holocaust through the production of their own oral history documentary. The Torah Academy students conducted extensive oral history interviews with Mr. Morris Bendit and Mr. Manfred Katz, both of whom are holocaust survivors and Jacksonville residents. The moving, emotionally-charged, first hand testimonials preserve vital Jewish history and helped students forge intergenerational connections. In the process of producing the documentary, students learned about interviewing techniques, oral history, documentary film tools, internet research and film editing. Throughout the project, professionals – journalists, film-makers and Holocaust survivors – advised, guided and prepared students for the interviews.
Tova Fish-Rosenberg, the creator, producer and founder of the acclaimed “Names, Not Numbers” film project has involved 6,000 students; more than 2,500 survivors and World War II veterans. More than 300 classes have taken place across the U.S., Canada and Israel. Torah Academy of Jacksonville was humbled by the great opportunity to introduce our local students to this far-reaching educational program.
