Pictures

Here's some of the fireworks in DC.  If you look close, right at the base where the launchers would be - you can see the Lincoln Memorial.

Just a few of my 150,000 closest friends on the Mall!  :)

The 4th of July in Washington

The 4th of July in Washington, what a day!  Here's a copy/paste from my journal.  Sorry it's so long, but I heard some very interesting histories. . .

In the evening, we had dinner at the hotel again.  Roman Kent and his wife were with us. 
Roman wanted to send us off with a few words – it was amazing.  Shortly after Roman began, his wife kind of cut in and began speaking (sitting – she is a very small, quiet woman) and told us her story of being in a camp (Auschwitz?) with her mother and how her mother cooked for the Jewish men working for Germans.  Her mother said she would do this if she could keep her daughter (Mrs. Kent) with her and it was agreed to.  She described how her mother died in the camp of sickness and how she was alone at 14 years old, but still survived.  She also mentioned that her hair was never shaved at the camp.  Somehow she had avoided it the whole time she was a prisoner.  She ran her frail hand over her gray hair and smiled at the thought.  I think she felt a sense of victory, of resistance, when she remembered.

Later, Elaine mentioned that we were a privileged group as she had never heard Mrs. Kent speak about her experiences – to which Mrs. Kent said, “it was an awful time, who wants to remember?”  But, she and her husband have been instrumental in making sure the world remembers what happened to them and their families. 

Roman then returned to his story and told us of how he was working in the forests outside the Goss-Rosen camp.  He was with a group of young men who were scheduled to be replaced by a group of grown men who had recently been transported in from a ghetto.  Roman was there with his younger brother and they heard rumors that they were going to gas chambers since they were no longer useful.  At morning roll call when the new workers came into the camp, Roman stepped forward to the camp commandant and asked if he and his brother could stay working in the camp.  Roman said the commandant could have done three things – shot him on the spot, punish him and his brother, or simply refuse.  But, the commandant looked at him and asked where his brother was.  Roman identified his brother and 3 others came up and asked if they could stay as well.  The commandant looked at them for a few seconds (Roman said it felt like years) and said they could stay. 

Later, Roman found out that the transport had 800 men exactly.  There were 805 young workers at Goss-Rosen scheduled to be replaced, but it was supposed to be a direct swap – 800 for 800.  Roman’s suggestion solved a problem for the commandant and saved their lives at the same time.  Amazing. 

He also mentioned that he was later transferred to Auschwitz.  But, since it was so busy, and they were all supposed to be gassed upon arrival anyway, he was never tattooed.  He is one of the few prisoners in that camp that was never tattooed (frowned upon in the Jewish religion). 

After dinner several of us went off to watch the 4^th of July fireworks on the National Mall with about 150,000 of my closest friends.  It was great.  The mall was packed with people which was fun until it was time to walk back to the hotel – Bedlam!!! 

For 15-20 minutes the fireworks went off to different songs.  It was extremely loud and we were standing right next to the Washington Monument.  All around the drained reflecting pool they had firework launching tubes.  The fireworks didn’t rise too high before exploding – they were right in front of us.  The concussion from the explosions felt as if it could knock you over.  I had never felt fireworks before.  It was fun.

The finale was very impressive.  I recorded much of it on my little camera – I hope it looks good when I go back and watch it. 

July 5:  Back in the museum for some more instruction on artifacts.  We had one of the curators of the museum show us (powerpoint) several artifacts and go through the specific stories behind them.  It really showed me how I can restructure my class by choosing artifacts to show students that will take me where I want to go that day in terms of discussion, history, concepts, etc.  I hope to refine the idea more.

After that, we were given a little more time in the museum and then we went back to the hotel to collect our bags and go by bus to Dulles Intl’ Airport for our flights to Frankfurt then on to Tel Aviv.  We will then climb on a bus and drive to Jerusalem where I plan on collapsing until the next morning.  Here’s why:  We fly out at 5:45pm and “enjoy Hotel Lufthansa” for a night.  We arrive in Frankfurt at 8 tomorrow morning.  Then we take off a couple of hours later for Tel Aviv where we arrive at 3pm their time.  Then the bus to Jerusalem where we should arrive by 6pm.  Wow.  That’s some serious traveling. . . . but, it’s going to be worth it!!!    J

More to come when I’m in Jerusalem.

Survivors I met today

This is Roman Kent - the chairman of the American Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors:

Below is Henry Greenbaum.  The German Army occupied his hometown in Poland when he was 12.  He was liberated by US soldiers at age 17.  He weighed 75 pounds. . . .

Here he is showing his number tattooed onto his arm when he was deported to Auschwitz.

Day 1 - We all arive in DC

QUESTION: How do you get a US History teacher who loves Washington DC, her museums and monuments, more than any other city to NOT want to go out and see what there is to see?

ANSWER: Take him to the United States Holocaust Museum and explain what he’ll be seeing and experiencing over the next three weeks.  Then take him and his 26 fellow participants and feed them a nice dinner while listening to two Holocaust Survivors tell their stories.  That’s how you keep him from wanting to go out and see the sights. . . . .

Today has been a great day.  I was able to sleep in a little bit and then head out to the best museum in the DC area – the United States Holocaust Museum.  The 27 of us went in the back door as a group and went down to a classroom where we went through orientation. 

It was great to hear exactly where we would be and what things we would experience – I am getting really excited.  Our facilitators (group leaders) are amazing and have done this trip for years.  They are extremely knowledgeable and a lot of fun to be with.  They will be showing us some amazing places.

Tomorrow (July 4) we’re going back to the Holocaust Museum (the only days the museum is closed is Yom Kippur and Christmas) where we will have a chance to go through the permanent exhibits before they are open to the public.  I’ve had this experience before – to stand and look at the exhibits with no one else in sight.  It’s a powerful thing and I look forward to it.

And, tomorrow night we'll be watching the fireworks from the Mall!  How cool is that!?!?!?!?!

Well, I’ll have more for you tomorrow (today was really only a half-day) so we’ll catch up then. 

Getting Started - In DC

Hi all,

Just 4 days after returning from China to pick up my son from his LDS mission in Hong Kong, I've flown to Washington DC for meetings at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum before we fly off to Israel. 

I've met a few of the other teachers who are a part of our group.  All seem dedicated teachers and fun individuals.  I look forward to getting to know them better over the next 3 weeks.

Someone suggested we go to Chinatown to have dinner.  I wasn't too excited with this idea, having eaten Chinese food for the last two weeks straight, but I went with them anyway.  We went to Tony Cheng's Mongolian Restaurant - and it was pretty good.  (that's the pic)

Well, I really get started tomorrow.  I'll have more for you then..

Learning in DC

This week I'm in Washington DC with the other Social Studies teachers from my school district as part of a Teaching American History Grant from the Federal government.  This grant allows us to bring experts to Rexburg to teach us as well as allows us to travel and see the sites we teach about in order to learn more ourselves so we can better teach our students.

So far we've visited memorials and monuments, and we've gone to Gettysburg.  Visiting the battlefield and having a park ranger come on our bus to teach us as we went through the battlefield was a great experience.  This is an incredible opportunity.

Below is a photo of my high school's social studies department at the area where Robert E. Lee prepared the plan for July 3, 1863 - Pickett's Charge. 

Having a great time!!!!

I'll be back later.  :)

Madison High School Students

As I am preparing for my upcoming journey I thought I would share this blog address with the students I had this past fall in my Holocaust/Human Rights class at Madison High School.  Welcome to any of those students who are checking in to see/hear about my experiences.

Most were seniors so they have now graduated (Congratulations!!!!!!) but may still be interested in my trip.  I hope you are all doing well.

The countdown to the trip is now 5 1/2 weeks, so I still have a while to wait.  However, I fly off to Washington DC in 11 days for a week.  Then after a whole 3 days at home My wife, my son Josh, and I will be flying off to Hong Kong to pick up our oldest son Jake from his LDS mission.  We will spend two weeks touring Hong Kong and China.  It will be amazing!!!!   But, then after another 3 days at home I fly off to Washington DC again for orientation for this Holocaust Education Tour.  Wow!  What a great collection of experiences await me this summer.  I can't wait to get started. 

More to come later. . . .    :)