“In essence, the project is an ongoing effort to memorialize the 1.5 million children who perished during the Holocaust,” said Sixth Grade Social Studies Teacher Heather Lucas. “The ceramic butterflies that CCMS students have painted are a way to give those children an act of remembrance and are a symbol of resilience and hope.”
Lucas explained originally she received an email from the Virginia Holocaust Museum (VHM) about participating in the project. She signed up and ordered the kits through VHM, who sponsored the cost through a grant funded specifically for the project.
The program began in California in 2006, and was inspired by Pavel Friedmann’s poem “Last Butterfly,” written while he was imprisoned in Terezin concentration camp. According to TBP, Friedmann was murdered at 21 years old on September 29, 1944 at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Lucas said the Museum has been phenomenal in educating about the Holocaust and has initiated several training opportunities for teachers and students.
According to information supplied by The Butterfly Project, the ongoing effort will memorialize 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust with each butterfly representing a child who was lost and a voice that is gained.
“Together, we honor our Survivors and our commitment to Never Forget. May your contribution to this memorial inspire new dialogue, connecting and empowering individuals of all backgrounds and beliefs,” wrote Project Education Team Chair and Co-Founder Jan Landau to Lucas.
The TBP was founded in 2006 at San Diego Jewish Academy by Landau and Artist Cheryl Rattner Price as a hands-on, hopeful and profound approach to teaching the Holocaust. More information on TBP can be found online at https://thebutterflyprojectnow.org and about the Virginia Holocaust Museum at https://www.vaholocaust.org.
https://www.thecarrollnews.com/news/ccms-project-honors-children-killed-in-holocaust/article_b3d2795d-1ba4-4893-a5a5-b15295c35f2e.html
