Names, Not Numbers

Two hundred and sixty people from across the community came out last night to view Names, Not Numbers: A Movie in the Making. The documentary film told the story of the oral history project which our seniors embarked upon this year under the direction of Rabbi Gersten, in which they researched, interviewed, filmed, and edited the stories of 6 local Holocaust survivors and one concentration camp liberator.

The evening began with a dinner for the students and their families together with the interviewees and their families. It then proceeded with a formal program in which those who had come heard from Mr. Bob Mamlin, the Dachau liberator who participated in the program, followed by Mrs. Tova Rosenberg, the program's creator, who introduced the film. After the film, Rabbi Gersten called up each student who presented the final version of their work to the interviewee about whom it was made. Plaques of gratitude were also given to Mrs. Rosenberg and to Mr. Bert Bornblum, whose charitable foundation helped fund the project.

Our deepest thanks for a most memorable evening goes to the Memphis JCC, and its Director, Mr. Barrie Weiser; to Rabbi Gersten for months of hard work teaching our students and organizing the program's many logistics; and, most of all, to our fourteen phenomenal seniors who did exceptional work.

Copies of the video can be ordered through the school by emailing Mrs. Phylis Levine at plevine@mhafyos.org. For the pictures found in the slide show below, click here.