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“Seeing Is Believing”: Douglas Students Gain Powerful New Perspective on the Holocaust Through Immersive JCC Experience 4

MSD students on a recent field trip to the David Posnack Jewish Community Center in Davie. {courtesy}

Marjory Stoneman Douglas senior Owen Sarrazit thought he knew a lot about the Holocaust due to stories from his family and self-research. But what he discovered on a recent field trip to the David Posnack Jewish Community Center in Davie opened his eyes to a whole new level of history and reality.

“I was surprised by how different and real it is to actually see the tragedy through physical artifacts and photos,” Sarrazit said. “I believe that seeing is believing, and being shown Holocaust prison uniforms, pieces of German railroads used to transport innocent people to their death, and countless more artifacts, enforced the fact that these things really happened to real people.”

Ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27, the David Posnack JCC’s The Overlap hosted more than 250 Broward County high school students – 30 from Douglas — at the JCC’s Holocaust Learning Center. These students and their teachers received a guided tour of the Anne Frank Annex, exploring Anne Frank’s life through her diary and historical records.

During the tour, students watched a special performance of Living Voices’ “Through the Eyes of a Friend,” telling the story of Anne Frank and how young people were impacted by the Holocaust. The remembrance program helped students explore themes of courage, resistance, and historical memory, connecting these lessons to broader conversations about human rights and moral responsibility.

“The immersive experience with the Living Voices performance and the tour of the replica of Anne’s bedroom allows students to tap into their learned knowledge from class,” said Darren Levine,

Douglas English and Holocaust Studies Teacher. “To make the stories come to life is an important, authentic experience for the students.”

The trip included a powerful multimedia performance sharing Anne Frank’s story through the perspective of a close friend. Students experienced an immersive tour that highlights Anne Frank’s life, World War II history, and, according to Levine, “the enduring lessons of tolerance, empathy, and human rights”. The tour of the Holocaust exhibit, including the space that replicates Anne Frank’s bedroom in the annex, allowed the students to step into the small space that brought the story to life.

For Sarrazit, the trip provided a profound link to his prior knowledge and what he knows now about the tragic, historic event.

“Being faced with the true raw historical receipts of the Holocaust, not sugarcoated through stories I was told throughout my life to shield me from the brutal, sad reality of the mass genocide, reshaped the way I saw it,” Sarrazit said. “I now have a feeling of duty to speak about the Holocaust, even if it’s hard and graphic, because we can never let people forget what those people went through. It’s the least we can do.”

As part of future instruction at Douglas, students will learn more about Anne Frank while studying the story of Miep Gies, the young woman who helped hide the Franks for over two years. Levine said they will certainly be able to apply their experience from this field trip to the lessons they will continue to encounter in future units.

“People like to say ‘Holocaust education is more important than ever,” Levine said. “I like to say that Holocaust education is always important. Field trips such as the one we attended on Thursday help to reinforce the importance of such an education. Education brings awareness. Awareness brings tolerance. Tolerance brings togetherness. Togetherness brings peace.”

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Faran Fagen

Faran Fagen, who teaches high school journalism, graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Journalism degree and from Florida Atlantic University with a degree in Education. He's worked at The Palm Beach Post, SunSentinel, and MLB.com. He lives in Coral Springs with his wife and two children. Oh, and his three dogs -- who all think that they're his favorite.