The Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District celebrated the reopening of its newly renovated Holocaust & Genocide Education Center during the district’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Night on Jan. 29.
The center in the Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School library was developed with support and research materials from the Nassau County Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center. The updated center features Holocaust artifacts, a dedicated research archive, and a modern digital seminar space.
The evening’s program featured keynote remarks from Donna Rosenblum, director of education for the Nassau County Holocaust Center, and student-led sessions on the experiences of children of the Holocaust. Attendees included state Sen. Steve Rhoads, Nassau County Legislator Arnold Drucker, and representatives from state Assembly Member Charles D. Lavine’s office, who presented the district with a $10,000 check to be used toward the center’s renovation.
“At a time of rising unrest both locally and around the world, the opening of the Holocaust and Genocide Education Center reflects a shared community commitment to remembrance, education, and the responsibility to cultivate civil-minded learners,” said Superintendent of Schools Mary O’Meara.
The John F. Kennedy High School Holocaust and Genocide Education Center is an ongoing collaborative effort between the board of education, PTA, curricular representatives, high school administration and the buildings and grounds department.
“Visitors to our center appreciate it as a place for learning and discussion about the discrimination people face and the hatred that can lead to such catastrophic events as the Holocaust,” said student Ella Ben-Hamo, who was part of the team that helped spearhead the renovation. “Our vision is for this center to be a place of reflection and growth for anyone who steps through these doors.”
