Textbooks aren’t always the best way to learn about something. Sometimes, it helps to immerse yourself in an experience so impactful you’ll never forget it.
Harris Middle School eighth graders experienced that first-hand today when the ‘Hate Ends Now’ mobile Holocaust museum arrived on campus. It’s a historically accurate replica of a cattle car that was used to transport Jews during the Holocaust.
Librarian Cheryl Stewart works closely with the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio to bring experiences like this to our students.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Stewart. “I wanted to give that gift to my school and working with the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio – everyone there has been amazing.”
Visitors learn about the deportations through Holocaust survivor testimony. But it’s not through spoken word. This immersive exhibit features a 360-degree video projected onto the inside walls of the cattle car.
This experience follows Texas Holocaust Remembrance Week, which was recognized Jan. 22 – 26, 2024. In 2019, the Texas Legislature established this annual remembrance period in public schools through Senate Bill 1828.
The role of librarian also doubles for collaborator and teacher at North East ISD. Stewart excels in this role. For this project, she worked closely with Harris history teachers to deepen their unit on the Holocaust and bring unforgettable opportunities like this one to students.
“Libraries are the resource center on campus,” said Stewart. “Something like this extends the lesson, which is what libraries are here to do.”
This mobile museum is scheduled to stop at Bradley Middle School on Thursday before it continues its journey across the nation.
