The Black and White

by Jillian Mastrostefano

With full financial support from the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center in Providence, students primarily from Dr. Xiarhos’ Genocide and Holocaust Studies Course were given the unique opportunity to experience the creative, cultural, and historical potentials of America’s busiest city–New York.  

Along with a mass of diversity, vibrance, and noise, New York City is home to numerous historical sites and museums, among them the September 11th Memorial and Museum and the traveling Anne Frank exhibit–both of which Pilgrim’s students had the privilege to experience. 

After a long train ride from Kingston and time to discover the city, the seventy students, along with their chaperones (also from Pilgrim’s history department), ventured from the subways to the honorable site of the 9/11 memorial. At the site stood two immense memorials placed where the two Twin Towers once were, surrounded by what seemed to be an infinite number of names of those lost on September 11th, 2001–from civilian citizens to first responders. A unique and memorable detail about these two monuments were the white roses placed on scattering names, signifying their birthday. The beautiful architecture of these two structures was furthermore notable, the smooth design of the material, along with the stunning streams of water falling from its sides into the deep chambers outlining the ghosts of the towers. The sounds of the water falling together with the pouring rain made this moment so much more impactful and emotional to view, becoming an experience the students surely won’t forget. 

After another period of city exploration, the students set forth block after block to reach the Anne Frank exhibition. Relating directly to the course offered by Dr. Xiarhos back at Pilgrim, this exhibit enlightens visitors to years of Jewish history, specifically highlighting the events and circumstances during the Holocaust, where Jewish citizens within Europe were victimized, discriminated against, and ultimately exterminated. This site directly focuses on Anne Frank, a young girl who documented her firsthand experience within the pages of her diary, which was eventually found, showcased worldwide, and used to center this museum. 

When initially brought into the museum, the students were guided into the auditorium where they received specific instruction and overview. They were then let into the experience where they were each given phone-like microphones which worked when you scanned a specific section of the walk-through exhibit, put the speaker to your ear, and listened to various pieces of enlightening information about Anne Frank, her family, and numerous other Jews regarding the events throughout the Holocaust. Students were also able to view several artifacts and pieces of history such as letters, motion pictures, and even walk-through replica rooms of the secret annex which hid Anne and her family.

The Anne Frank exhibit, along with the 9/11 memorial, was an illuminating experience informing students using various procedures they could only experience firsthand, and with the utmost thanks to the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center and Pilgrim’s history department, they were able to receive this rare learning opportunity. Dr. Xiarhos himself states, “This trip would have been impossible without the support of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center.  Visiting both the 9/11 memorial and the Anne Frank exhibition offered students real-world examples of what happens when people choose hate and indifference rather than love and community.”

With a big trip such as this, problems are almost guaranteed to occur. The very day before, various groups within New York were failing to respond, failing to confirm the details of the entire trip. With the devotion and efforts of the executive director of the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center–Wendy Joering, the trip was saved. Joering spent her whole day making calls, sending emails, sacrificing her own time to ensure this trip happened, all while preparing for events at the Center as well as Passover. Thanks to her, the trip became possible, holding little to no issues, and was remarkably managed.

Overall the 2025 trip to New York was a huge success, incredibly organized, and accurately focused on the learning experiences of the students, while also allowing them to visit one of the most unique cities in the country. Dr. Xiarhos, along with the rest of Pilgrim’s history department hopes to continue educational opportunities like this in the coming years. “I’m extremely proud of our students for taking part in this experience and taking it seriously and thinking very intentionally about the events of Holocaust.  My hope is that we can continue to offer unique and powerful experiences to our Holocaust and Genocide Studies Students.”