Fourth Graders Learn About Heroism in the Shoah at the Museum of Jewish Heritage

Fourth graders felt privileged visiting the Museum of Jewish Heritage to explore the Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark exhibit. This trip served as the culmination of their historical fiction unit, in which students were introduced to the time period of the Shoah through Lois Lowry’s novel Number the Stars. Their classroom discussions centered around powerful themes, such as bravery, community, and resistance, as students learned about the courage of the Danish people during the Nazi occupation of their country. Students explored the concept of the “Righteous Among the Nations”—including the heroic non-Jewish Danes who risked their lives to save the majority of their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis. The exhibit is closely connected to the novel and engaged students in an age-appropriate way through interactive maps, holograms, and video displays. At the museum, students followed the stories of six Danish Jews of different ages and backgrounds. They also reflected on the Talmudic teaching: “To save a life is to save a whole world.”  Their teachers are incredibly proud of the students’ empathy, thoughtful questions, and mature engagement throughout this meaningful unit.