By Kathryn Coulibaly
Nearly six years ago, Kittatinny High School English teacher Mary Houghtaling was teaching a world literature class to seniors, and it was a struggle. The students weren’t connecting to the material, until Houghtaling introduced Elie Wiesel’s Night, the story of how he survived the Holocaust as a teenager in Romania and his experiences in Auschwitz and Buchenwald.
“My students were completely gripped by the book,” Houghtaling recalls. “Across the board they said, ‘We want to know more.’”
Houghtaling reached out to the Jewish Foundation for the Greater Metro West, which connected her with Mark Schonwetter and Fred Heyman, two Holocaust survivors who came to the school and talked to the entire school community about their experiences.
Creating the center
Motivated by the experience, and the students’ responses to it, Houghtaling decided to pursue a center at the school where students would be able to read and learn more.
During the pandemic, Houghtaling pursued a second master’s degree, this one in Holocaust and genocide studies. For her capstone project, she wanted to work on creating the center. Once everyone returned to the buildings, Houghtaling worked on it with a team that included supervisor Carol Fishbone, who was instrumental to the work. The school offered a free space in the library, and Houghtaling began working on the center.
One day, three seniors in study hall came into the library and offered to help Houghtaling. Michael, Andrew, and Caedon ended up becoming fully engaged in the project.
“They painted the sign on the wall, they came up with plans and fundraisers,” Houghtaling says. “They were like teacher assistants, constantly coming up with new ideas and implementing them. And they brought in other students, too. By the end of the year, there were 19 students painting maps on the wall and writing positive messages. In all, more than 52 students participating, and former students even came in to help, including one of our former graduates, Patrick Lynch.”
Donations, volunteers and programs bolster center
With donations and support pouring in, the center really took off. Gayle Rosenthal, the director of Stockton University’s Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center, who has since passed away, donated books and Elie Wiesel’s autograph. Students came in and painted murals during their spring break. The murals now include portraits of Sojourner Truth, Sitting Bull, Elie Wiesel, and depictions of Darfur and Rwanda.
As a group, they created a pantry where students can take what they need, including snacks, toiletries and books.
They also participated in an “Adopt a Survivor” program with the Jewish Federation. Students came in and painted portraits of Holocaust survivors.
Maud Dahme, who survived the Holocaust as a hidden child, came and spoke to students, as well as Ann Arnold, Mark Schonwetter’s daughter.
Houghtaling is teaching a Holocaust and Genocide Studies course through the world literature curriculum and the class is linked to Stockton University. Students can earn four general education credits for the coursework.
Houghtaling, her students and colleagues are immensely proud of what they have built, and the impact that it has on the entire school community. To their knowledge, theirs is the only high school in the state with a Holocaust and Genocide Research Center.
“We’re trying to create humanitarians here,” Houghtaling says. “This was the most moving, incredible thing that’s happening in my career.”
Kathryn Coulibaly is the associate editor of the NJEA Review and provides content and support to njea.org. She can be reached at kcoulibaly@njea.org.