Could it happen again?
03/04/2024
Since the start of 2024, The Mitzvah Project has reached close to 2,000 high school students in the San Francisco Bay Area and Colorado with stirring performances and challenging conversations led by our talented Teaching Artists.
In January, at Northgate High School (Walnut Creek, CA), students from the school’s AP German, World History and European History classes were spellbound by Teaching Artist, Elijah Alexander’s, performance in The Mitzvah (the program’s one-act, one-person drama) followed by the harrowing account of his uncle’s escape from the SS which anchored Elijah’s lecture. Students in the audience were eager to explore the question: “could this happen again?” while reflecting on the societal conditions and beliefs that foster hate and intolerance.
In the words of one Northgate student:
“The play [The Mitzvah] gave me a whole new perspective on the Holocaust, by bringing it alive.”
To read more student reflections, click here.
At the end of the program, students crowded around Elijah excited to continue the conversation and to connect.
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The Northgate presentation was also an opportunity for our newest Advisory Board member, Neil Ackerman, as well as representatives of the Excelsior German Center and other champions of the program, to see and experience what their support has made possible.
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This week, I’m once again excited to host friends of The Mitzvah Project at our presentation at the San Ramon Valley High School (Danville, CA) this time with Teaching Artist, Victor Talmadge, in the spotlight. (Don’t miss our upcoming newsletter for details!)
I am eager for all of you — our supporters and friends — to experience, first-hand, The Mitzvah Project’s innovative and impactful approach to Holocaust education.
Please contact me if you’d like to attend one of our upcoming programs or if you would like to discuss booking a presentation at a high school or college near you.
As you may know, a hallmark of The Mitzvah Project is that we offer the program *entirely free* to public high schools. It’s your support that makes that possible.
Please consider making a tax deductible contribution – of any size – today.
With gratitude,
Roger Grunwald, Founder, The Mitzvah Project
P.S. Here’s one more Northgate student comment:
“I thought I knew a lot about the Holocaust, but after experiencing your presentation I realized how much my education had missed. I think this should be presented at every high school in the country,”
In today’s environment of crisis and division, we must not underestimate young people’s desire to learn.
You can help us reach more students with a generous gift.
Thank you!
