Unit description written by Grade 8 Humanities Teacher Jennifer Saba...

The most powerful aspect of a humanities class is when students make meaningful text-to-self connections—when they see themselves in history or literature through personal reflection. As my eighth-grade students began reading Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night, they naturally started sharing their own family stories of survival and resilience. I was deeply moved—not just by the stories themselves, but by the pride with which they were told.

Inspired by these discussions, our class embarked on a Family Roots and Jewish Journeys project. Each student selected a family “artifact” or a photo of one and crafted a story around it. They brought in beautiful silver candlesticks passed down through three generations, cherished machzors gifted from great-grandmother to great-grandson, and original passports and identity cards from Nazi Germany—documents that bore witness to their families’ escape from the Holocaust. Through this project, students honored their ancestors, remembering those who perished by learning their names and celebrating the survival stories of those who found refuge in America or Israel.

What struck me most was not just the final projects, but the journey of discovery itself. Students uncovered details about their families, giving history a human face. I was deeply moved each day as students eagerly shared about Zoom calls with their great-grandmothers, conversations with grandparents, and family gatherings where they watched testimonies of survival and resilience.

After more than 20 years of teaching, this has been the most rewarding experience of my career. As a Jewish educator in a post-October 7th world, I feel an even greater sense of responsibility. Watching the students explore, craft, and nurture their own Jewish identities brings pride and hope for the future.