Fueled by a passion for learning and sharing information, a National History Day project on the Kindertransport has been transformed into an educational packet for fifth- and sixth-graders across the country.
Romy Fruman and Harley Moritz, both 14-year old Hewlett High School freshmen, created a documentary for their National History Day project at Woodmere Middle School last December. They interviewed Manfred Korman, 94, about his experience during the Kindertransport, a rescue effort in which nearly 10,000 mostly Jewish refugee children were transported to Great Britain from Nazi Germany from December 1938 to May 1940, according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia.
The girls wanted to preserve Korman’s story, believing that it was important to do something that represented their Jewish heritage. They found the details of the Kindertransport to be particularly imperative to share, they said.
Romy and Harley created a “clothespin education project” as a “symbol of hope and remembrance,” with clothespins representing the children rescued by the Kindertransport.
They turned their History Day Project and the clothespin initiative into an educational packet for students.
The girls hosted “Lemons to Light,” an introduction to their project and the packet, at the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove, on Sept. 21.
“Seeing everyone intrigued and how amazed people were felt really good,” Romy said. “To see all of our hard work paying off and seeing the educational packet in person was truly just such a good feeling.”
Five schools from across Long Island have already signed up to integrate the packet into their social studies curriculums.
“I’m really happy that schools want to take up on this project and keep it going,” Romy said, “and that people want to learn about the Kindertransport.”
The packet was created in collaboration with the HMTC, and has been a work in progress all summer. The girls worked with Donna Rosenblum, director of education, to make sure it includes all the proper information and activities created by the girls.
“As an educator and somebody who spent my whole life teaching in the classroom, and as a school librarian and administrator, when you come across two young ladies who take something like this and want to bring it to so many other people, it’s a gift,” Rosenblum said. “It’s really exciting to see the passion and love from these girls.”
Students who receive the packet will learn about the Kindertransport, read survivors’ testimonies and take part in the clothespin project. The educational activities including writing a personal journal entry as if you were going to be transported by yourself, and deciding what to take in your luggage.
“Manfred Korman came to the event,” Harley said. “He talked, and I think his words helped make people realize why we were doing this.”
She added that she never thought their eighth-grade history fair project would become as big as it has. “I’m just looking forward to all the schools doing this,” Harley said. “It should be something that is implemented into every school. It’s so amazing, and it’s a soft start to introduce kids to the Holocaust.”
Korman, who was just 7 when he took the Kindertransport, recalled that parents simply put their kids on the train, not knowing if they would ever be reunited.
“My mother did exactly that in Poland,” Korman said. “She took us to the railroad station and my brother (Gerd) and I ended up in England. We entered England, it was the end of August 1939.”
Within two weeks of his arrival, Korman recounted, he was taken from a Jewish home and school to a Christian community and family.
“My family was fortunate,” he added. “We all survived, and ended up in the United States at different times. Without the Kindertransport, we would not be here talking to you right now.”
Romy said she thought the history fair project would be “one and done,” but instead it has grown beyond all expectations. “It feels amazing looking back to what was so small, to now is becoming so big and impactful to many people and schools,” she said. “It brings a lot of joy and a good feeling in every bone in my body.”
Her life lesson to others is “never think small” and “there’s no dream too big.”
Harley said she believes that “if you have the mindset to do something,” you should do it. “We found so many different connections and stories,” she said, “and took this to a different level than we thought we would ever achieve.”
