Though the Holocaust occurred nearly 85 years ago, its effects still ripple throughout Jewish communities today. As years pass and as today’s generation grows farther removed from the event, some question how to effectively remember the tragedy and educate individuals on the extent of its damage.
The program Names, Not Numbers seeks to address this issue, specifically as it pertains to youth. High school students in the program record interviews with Holocaust survivors, a year-long project that eventually culminates in a documentary. The completed documentary is then used to memorialize the events of the Holocaust as experienced through firsthand witnesses—not as a generalized statistic.
Names, Not Numbers is offered in Israel, Canada and the United States, and the program has existed at North High for years. Each year, 15 students are selected to participate, led by Hebrew teacher Ms. Bokhour, with five students getting assigned to each survivor. Prior to the interviews, the students research their assigned witness’s home country and history to gain more insight about the witnesses’ lives. Upon the two-hour interview’s completion, the students edit and reduce it to the most essential 20 minutes.
Before filming, the students met with CBS News journalist Jonah Kaplan to ensure a successful production. He primarily taught filming techniques, how to use equipment and what questions to ask.
This month, Names, Not Numbers’ North High chapter completed another successful documentary, and on Sept. 17, the club hosted a trailer of their film in North High’s auditorium to raise awareness of the program and its importance.
“The work that my students did is extremely important because they’re the bridge between this generation and the next generation,” said Ms. Bokhour. “They’re the ones that will be able to share their stories with the world once we have no survivors left, and they … will keep their survivors’ stories alive through this work they’re doing.”
This year, the survivors interviewed for the documentary were Manfred Korman, Sonja Geismar and Eric Lipetz.
92-year-old Korman and his family were deported from Germany to Poland in 1938. His family was then separated throughout the war; his father was denied access to Cuba and the United States and ended up in The Netherlands, and his mother stayed in Italy until she could obtain a visa. Korman and his brother primarily stayed in London, and his family reunited in the United States after the war concluded.
Geismar, who has been speaking about her story for the past decade, shares a similar experience. Like Korman’s father, Geismar attempted to flee from Germany to Cuba, but the nation and its surrounding countries refused to admit more Jews. She stayed in England until immigrating to the United States in 1940.
After fleeing Belgium with his family, Lipetz was similarly rejected from the United States. Consequently, during the war he and his family stayed in the Philippines, which German and Japanese soldiers later occupied. Despite encounters with guards and Filipino resistance groups, Lipetz and his family survived, immigrating to the United States in 1946.
“I will carry the survivors’ words with me for the rest of my life,” said sophomore Zahara Bendelstein, one of the five students who interviewed Lipetz. “[Lipetz] spoke so beautifully, and his resilient character is reflected in the words that he says. I am so grateful for being a part of Names, Not Numbers.”
“The program offered me a way to connect with Holocaust survivors and learn their stories and help contribute to a legacy,” said junior Alex Amir, who interviewed Korman. “I have familial connections to the Holocaust and participating in [Names, Not Numbers] was a gift.”
Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent rise of antisemitism additionally illuminates the importance of programs like Names, Not Numbers. Holocaust survivors around the world—including Korman, Geismar, and Lipetz—were shocked and disheartened by the rise of antisemitism after living in the Holocaust’s aftermath for over half a century. The challenges Jews face today only reinforces the necessity of documentaries, testimonials, and other means of understanding the Holocaust and its effects on survivors.
“Everyone should watch the films; everyone should educate themselves,” Ms. Bokhour said. “We can’t let history repeat itself.”
To view the completed film, click HERE.
