Rebecca Posner, AFC USA School Residency Programs & Arts-based Curricula
The Anne Frank Center USA launched our newest residency workshop, Courage in Action, in two NYC public elementary schools this Spring. Through a collaboration with 3GNY and TheirStory, this residency with curriculum designed by AFC CEO Dr. Lauren Bairnsfather and AFC Program Manager Alexandra Gellner, gave 5th grade students the opportunity to hear stories of survival and courage from the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and transmit them through collaborative creative expression.
Working with our passionate NYC teaching artists Francesca Fernandez McKenzie and Deb Radloff, with assistance from Juliana Morales Carreno, the students prepared to meet our guests by studying Holocaust history and the dynamics of intolerance, perpetration, and what it means to have the courage to stand in its way. They learned about Anne Frank’s story through the framework of her entry into hiding and the question of what it means to be an active bystander in the face of intolerance.
Speaking with the grandchildren of Holocaust survivors from 3GNY, the students learned about acts of bravery and hope as told by survivors to their own families. One of the 3GNY storytellers, Stacy Beach, shared the story of her grandfather Leon Beach, who survived the Holocaust, with one 5th grade class. Stacy shared this reflection about her experience:
I loved seeing the way that the students took my grandfather’s story and brought it to life. On my way home I kept thinking about the performance, and what people say about how speaking the name of those who have died helps to keep their memories alive. Today, I watched these students help keep my grandfather’s memory alive, not just by re-telling his story but by speaking his name and remembering him. What a beautiful experience you facilitated; I know I will never forget it!
Following the interviews, students worked with our teaching artists and the transcripts created on the TheirStory platform to create theatrical performances, rooted in tableau work or “Image Theater,” a traditional theater method that was notably used by early 20th century social movements and the interactive, community-based form “Theater of the Oppressed.”
The dramatic pieces by these young oral historians and theater-makers depicted the powerful imagery in these stories of survival and escape, made possible by remarkable acts of compassion and courage. Through the work of these young people with the AFC teaching artists, and the generous storytelling of the 3GNY speakers, these powerful stories are continuing on in our world, helping cultivate empathy and a deeper awareness of history.
