Students from Saint Andrew’s School in Boca Raton were educated on the horrors that Holocaust victims experienced by standing inside a replica of a World War II cattle car used to transport Jews to concentration camps.
Through the multimedia educational experience, the students, who are in grades eighth through 12th, watched videos projected on the walls inside the replica cattle car that included Holocaust survivors speaking about their experiences.
The Orthodox Union’s Boca Raton-based Southern NCSY and its Jewish Student Union have partnered with ShadowLight, a Canadian non-profit organization originated by students that provides the replica cattle car for the Hate Ends Now tour. The car is being brought to stadiums, museums, Jewish campuses, high schools, universities and neighborhoods.
Over a period of three months, the educational tour is brining the car to schools and communities across Florida and the Southeast United States. Saint Andrew’s was one of its first stops. Among the local schools the car is scheduled to go to is North Broward Preparatory School in Coconut Creek.
Solly Hess, chief development officer for Southern NCSY and JSU, said, “The goal is to educate students and adults on the atrocities of the Holocaust and the devastating consequences of intolerance, and to empower them to take a stand against antisemitism and all forms of bigotry.”
“We’re empowering the students to say, ‘hate ends now,'” Hess continued.
Jordana Lebowitz, founder and executive director of ShadowLight, was inspired to become an advocate for Holocaust remembrance, education and human rights when she participated in the March of the Living at age 16. The idea for the cattle car exhibit came years later when she was in college in 2015.
“When I was an undergrad with Hillel, I managed to find a replica cattle car, and with Hillel, we brought it to my university,” Lebowitz said. “When we saw how powerful it was on campus and how it impacted the students, we then decided to make this into a traveling exhibit.”
A few Saint Andrew’s School students spoke about their experience in the replica cattle car.
Alexis Trifon, a 10th grade student, said, “I’ve learned about the Holocaust before, but doing it in such an interactive way was just so incredible and it really puts it into perspective as it allows you to picture what was going through their [Holocaust victims] minds, what they went through and how unbelievable it was.”
“I think it reinforces the idea to never hate and how important it is to continue the Holocaust survivors’ stories and to honor them,” she continued.
Twelfth grader Ryan Stevens also felt the experience of being in the car put things in perspective.
“There were only a few of us in there, but it still felt very cramped,” he said. “While we were in the cattle car, we realized what people actually went through during the Holocaust and what they were forced to go through.”
Elise Erblat, who teaches world history and Holocaust studies at the school, said, “We’ve been learning about the Holocaust all semester, but being inside a replica of a cattle car is a real experience as you’re able to see stories on the wall and listen to survivors going through their experiences.”
“I think being in this structure brings it home to everyone,” she continued.
Erblat, who was also inside the car, said, “It was the most intense and amazing Holocaust educational experience, and I think all students, as well as everyone, should have the opportunity to go through this.”
The Saint Andrew’s students also took part in an assembly and Zoom presentation with a Holocaust survivor before going in the car.
Visit hateendsnow.org or email for more information on the tour. Visit , or for more information on the organizations.
