JARRETT GOODMAN
Staff Writer
Whitwell Middle School’s well-renowned Children’s Holocaust Memorial recently received new additions to its expansive collection of Holocaust memorabilia.
Known globally, WMS’s Children’s Holocaust Memorial has been a long standing stable of both the school and Whitwell community, founded under the world renowned Paper Clips Project that began in 1998. WMS principal Josh Holtcamp explained all the new items include outfits worn by both Holocaust victims and Nazi officers during WWII, in addition to journals and a list of those who’ve died in the Holocaust that share relations to the museum’s major contributor, David Tabby. The new items on display were brought down by Tabby, as he and other members from the Har Zion Temple synagogue in Philadelphia, Penn. recently visited the Whitwell community in their secondary trip to the area this year.
“Most of the collection consists of Nazi memorabilia that he got to take out of the hands of sympathizers,” said Holtcamp.
In addition to the current collection, the museum is also set to receive items centered on Holocaust survivor Sol Wachsberg, the items being replicas of those displayed at the Holocaust Museum in Houston, TX. Holtcamp noted as part of the middle school, it is integral to the faculty to bring a niche balance of awareness and education to the history of the Holocaust without attracting antisemitism to the school itself.
“This project was made to bring awareness to the people by the children. So we have to bring awareness to it, that’s the job. But we also have to be aware that this school and project can be a hotbed for antisemitism,” explained Holtcamp.
While the collection entails stories of tragedy regarding those who have died during the Holocaust, Holtcamp felt the history is nonetheless vital to be taught not only to students but also guests visiting the memorial. The reason behind its significance is to help bring further unification through the education of the Holocaust, as in an era of political division, he believed the stories told within the collection would help shed light into the ever-changing landscape in the United States.
“It’s important that we’re all unified together because we’re all made by the same God, no matter who you are,” stated Holtcamp. “That’s the story we’re telling.”
For tours of the Children’s Holocaust Memorial, visit Whitwell Middle School’s website at https://www.whitwellmiddleschool.org/childrensholocaustmemorial.