The Black and White

by Jacob Nan with Photos by Sadie Johnson

On the rainy Friday of April 11th, a handful of students from Pilgrim were sent into April break early with a trip to New York City  sponsored by the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center in Providence.

Students arrived at Kingston station at 6:30 in the morning (an hour earlier than school) prepared to leave for New York City. After a 3 hour train ride to the city, students visited Times Square for brunch, the 9/11 reflection pools, and the new Anne Frank exhibit located in Manhattan, before ending the trip back in Times Square for dinner.

In total, 70 students from Pilgrim  were bouncing across New York City taking the time to learn more about the story of Anne Frank and seeing a life size replica of her annex, while also learning how to take the infamous NYC Subway, explore Times Square, Manhattan, and more in groups with the help of three teachers (Dr. Xiarhos, Mr. SanGiovanni, and Mr. McDonnell) and one student teacher from URI as chaperones.

Students were able to experience the life of a New Yorker while also paying respects to those lost during the Holocaust and the 9/11 attacks. Everything except for food or souvenirs were all paid in full by the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.

The Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center is a non-profit  group aimed at teaching the history of the Holocaust and Anti-semitism. Each year they give presentations to around 6,000 kids ranging from middle school to college to help foster understanding and respect among all people. It is thanks to the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center’s generosity and devotion to their mission, along with logistical planning of Dr. Xiarhos that the trip was possible

The Anne Frank exhibit located in NYC offered a life size replica of the Frank family’s annex in Amsterdam, as well as some replicas of the items found inside and actual artifacts from the Frank family and their annex. The exhibit offered an audio tour to everyone who attended the trip and in some rooms had video presentations about the history of the Holocaust. The exhibit held many copies in different languages  of the famous diary otherwise known as “Kitty” to Anne, and told her life story from Germany, to her unfortunate death to disease in a concentration camp. The exhibit allowed Pilgrim students to see firsthand the  famous Annex while also learning new facts about Anne and her family.

Thanks to the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center students were allowed to experience a taste of New York City while being educated about some of the worst tragedies committed on humanity by other humans. This trip was regarded by Dr. X as, “one of the most important and powerful field trips trips I’ve ever organized. The students were respectful, thoughtful, and very appreciative of the experience.”

May we never forget those who were lost in such tragedies like the Holocaust or 9/11, and it is thanks to the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center, seventy student from Pilgrim will certainlty never forget.

Please visit The Sandra Borstein Holocaust Education Center’s website at https://bornsteinholocaustcenter.org/ for more information on the important work they do. Also, if you are able, please show your support with a modest donation to help them in their mission and help them provide more opportunities to Rhode Island students.