What was a devastating reality for Holocaust survivors is now a virtual reality for students at a Brooklyn high school.
November 9th marks the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, which is said to be the beginning of the Holocaust.
November 9th marks the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, which is believed to be the beginning of the Holocaust.
Students at Edward R. Murrow High School in Midwood, Brooklyn, were the first in the nation to experience “Inside Kristallnacht.” This is a virtual reality project that integrates real-life footage and photographs with narration from Holocaust survivors.
Approximately 245,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors are still alive today, 20% are over 90 years old
Students at Edward R. Murrow High School in Midwood, Brooklyn, were the first in the nation to experience “Inside Kristallnacht.” This is a virtual reality project that integrates real-life footage and photographs with narration from Holocaust survivors.
Dr. Charlotte Knobloch, who was born in Munich, Germany, said, “I witnessed windows being broken at Ulffelder, a large department store.” “But of course, what good is beauty if everyone who goes to the synagogue is crying?”
On that night in 1938, Nazi forces launched a systematic attack on Germany, killing dozens of Jews, capturing 30,000 of them, and destroying thousands of synagogues and shops.
“I took the subway into the city in the morning and passed a store with broken glass, where a robbery had taken place,” said a 15-year-old Holocaust survivor who walked to work amid the destruction. said Kurt Goldschmidt.
A year later, the Nazis ordered him to produce war materials and he was sent to a concentration camp.
On Monday, Goldschmidt told his story to dozens of students.
“I couldn’t imagine being the same age as them and going through the same experiences. It’s so different compared to what we go through every day and what they have to deal with,” Edward said. – Nikita Zabel, a sophomore at R. Murrow High School, said.
So far, the program has been implemented in three schools, with two more planned in Berlin and Tel Aviv. These young people say it is important to remember the events of the Holocaust and recognize the warning signs.
“The pipeline from seizing power to full-blown extinction was very quick, and I feel like we need to really understand that process so it doesn’t happen again,” Edward said. -R. Murrow High School sophomore Lorne Porter said.
There are currently approximately 245,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors alive, 20% of whom are over 90 years old.
The Claims Council negotiates with the German government for reparations for Holocaust survivors. We partnered with the USC Shoah Foundation and Meta to make this project a reality and develop new ways to preserve survivors’ stories.
“These stories were filmed today, but these are going to be timeless stories, timeless experiences. So the future meaning of this program is not just here in New York, but beyond. “We believe it has the potential to have a significant impact on the region,” said Gideon Taylor, company president. said the Claims Conference.
Goldschmidt, 101, said she’s grateful to be able to share her story even after she’s gone.
“We must never forget this. People living today should know this and make sure it never happens again,” he said.
Anyone can access this virtual tour and curriculum by logging on to insidekristallnacht.org.
