What Educators Are Saying
"The Mitzvah Project was a truly impactful experience for Dougherty Valley High School—students were deeply engaged throughout the performance, and [Teaching Artist] Victor Talmadge’s powerful storytelling held their attention from start to finish. The thought-provoking Q&A that followed sparked meaningful conversations, highlighting the relevance of history and identity in today’s world—thank you for such an outstanding presentation.”
— Earvin Buckner, Assistant Principal, Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon, CA
“Monte Vista High School had the privilege of hosting The Mitzvah Project, and I cannot overstate the profound impact it had on our students. Teaching artist, Elijah Alexander, brought the performance to life with powerful and authentic accounts of the Holocaust, immersing our students in the harsh realities of this historical tragedy. His lecture that followed, provided our students with both the background of what gave rise to the Holocaust as well as an empowering message of what they can do to stand up to antisemitism, racism, or any other divisive language or systems.”
— Dr. Kevin Ahern, Principal, Monte Vista High School, Danville, CA
“The Mitzvah Project was a powerful, eye-opening experience for our students… Many expressed a strong desire to continue learning, and the program sparked a genuine curiosity that extended beyond the classroom. We’re excited about the opportunity to host this transformative program again soon!”
— Tiffany Briggs, Dakota Ridge HS Social Studies and FACS Teacher, Littleton, CO
"This is my third time attending The Mitzvah Project, and each time, I’ve been deeply moved by the power of the presentation and the personal connections students are able to make with the material. The program brings Holocaust education to life in a way that is both meaningful and, at times, painful. As an educator, I believe it's essential for students to understand the lessons of history—not only to avoid repeating past mistakes, but to grow in empathy and awareness of the world around them. The Mitzvah Project accomplishes this in a truly impactful way."
— Neil Ramirez, Social Studies Teacher, Arvada West High School, CO
“… A powerful presentation that connected the painful history of the Holocaust to the bigotry and “othering” in our world today.”
— Dot Kowal, Head of Upper School, Crystal Springs Uplands School, CA
“I had the privilege of attending The Mitzvah Project presentation at our school. Such a powerful program and message! I was trying to meet your Teaching Artist [Elijah Alexander] afterwards and thank him but he was mobbed by the kids! It was evident that the program had a profound impact on our students. Educating our youth about the Holocaust and the atrocities that were committed is essential to empowering them to prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again. Thank you for your invaluable work.”
— Michael Navia, Ed.D., Principal, Renaissance High School for the Arts, Long Beach, CA
“Roger Grunwald’s Mitzvah Project is extraordinary. From their comments after Mr. Grunwald’s presentation, it’s clear that my students were able to make the critical connection between the racism, antisemitism and white supremacy of today’s world and the roots of prejudice and hatred that gave rise to the Holocaust. Bravo!”
— Jack Chan, Assistant Principal, New Utrecht High School, Brooklyn, NY
“The Mitzvah Project is an engaging and riveting look at the Holocaust. You’ll feel captivated by each character’s distinctive story. My students made relevant connections to today’s current events. They were also inspired by the creativity of both the performance and presentation. As a high school Global History teacher, I highly recommend The Mitzvah Project to educators and students.”
— Amanda Glantz, Teacher, New Utrecht High School, Brooklyn, NY
“Mr. Grunwald’s presentation was unique, powerful… and vivid. As a history teacher, I especially found the connections he made between the United States’ Jim Crow Laws, the Eugenics movement, and the Nuremberg Laws to be extremely important. The Q & A session was an excellent opportunity to connect the lessons of the Holocaust to contemporary issues.”