AUBURN - The goal for the international traveling exhibit “Anne Frank – A History For Today” is to inform visitors about the history of the Holocaust from the perspective of Anne Frank and her family, but the perspective of student docents who lead guided tours shapes the presentation.

Eighth grader Solomon Jacobitz, who will be traveling to Berlin, Krakow and Prague the summer of his freshman year, said he signed on to the exhibit for the learning opportunity, but has become aware of the teaching experience as well.

 

 

 

Jacobitz: “It’s really cool, especially when some younger kids come around. It’s cool teaching them about it. It’s a hard subject. It’s terrible what  happened. Especially when kids are around I kind of have to lighten it up a little bit.”

The panels hint at topics like the fragility of democracy, feelings of racial superiority and the march toward genocide, but the students usher crowds through with brief explanations of what they see in the photos.

Mike Coulter said it is not a subject that he would normally bring up in Auburn, but the students are doing a good job in their role.

Coulter: “There’s a lot of information there, you know. They go over it and a … Of course there’s a lot more to say about it too.”

Students tell visitors about Anne Frank receiving her diary at age 13, the same age as many of them. They point out concentration camp photos were Jewish people are being divided into two lines.

Liston Crotty told her group that people under the age of 15 were not expected to be strong workers, so they were ordered to the line that went immediately to the gas chamber.

Crotty: “I’m 13...so 15-year-olds being sent to the gas chambers – yeah, it’s weird to think about us in that time, what would happen to us.”

Crotty and eighth grader Alexa Janssen  said the subject matter is difficult, but important.

Crotty: “Some of the pictures are kind of hard to look at, but it’s just very educational and I think it’s good to learn about.

 

Eighth grader Lexi Janssen: “Some people say you have to learn about your mistakes so you don’t make them again, so I think this is a good thing to do.”

Crotty encourages exhibits, camp visits or museums to anyone who needs to understand the historical realities of the Holocaust.

Crotty: “Because it is a real thing that happened and people need to accept that and just try and learn from it. Yeah, it’s something everybody needs to know.”

Media specialist Julie Lambert and English teacher Carrie Jeanneret chose the ninth and eighth graders for the roles a docents.