High School Apprenticeship Program

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2015 HSAP video

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Week 5- 

My name is Dakota, and this week I’m in the Coordinator Education department. So far I learned how important organization skills are, because I have a responsibility that consists of keeping all the HSAPS on track. I have the most fun making the HSAPs’ tour schedules. I am also looking forward to making the group activity this Friday. As for the future, I can see myself being the coordinator of an educational organization for kids.

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Spanish Harlem Walking Tour

On Friday, July 24th, the HSAPs went on a walking tour of Spanish Harlem by an educator from El Museo del Barrio. We learned about the transition away from traditional Spanish names for grocery stores such as bodega, to English labels. We learned about a group called the Young Lords that tried to get the New York City government to start treating the people in Spanish Harlem fairly. One way the Young Lords tried to do this was by organizing a trash burning that stopped traffic on Third Avenue to get the city to respond.

We also learned about a Botanica which people go to for solutions to a wide variety of ailments, and how it keeps many traditions alive so that a piece of their heritage can be preserved.  Walking through Spanish Harlem really showed us how the traditions and customs of different countries are important and make New York City the melting pot that it is.

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Tours

So far giving tours has been such an amazing experience! I’ve never really interacted with children in the way that I do leading tours. Seeing engaged faces full of awe and wonder has really motivated me so much for the next tour and the next! I have had about  twelve  tours now, and each group of kids have taught me something different. There were those who had so much energy and couldn’t wait  to learn about the next artifact that I could practically feel their excitement, and then there were those who were a bit timid, but  still excited. Giving tours has totally changed my perspective on children  and what interests them . I can’t wait to learn more with the future tours I will give until the end of the Program.

-Fabiana High School Apprentice 2015

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Walking Tour with Thorin

During the 2nd week in the HSAP program, we went on a tour of Lower Manhattan with our guide Thorin, Managing Director of FASPE at the Museum. On this tour we learned about the infrastructure and history of numerous historical events and sites, such as the  grave of Alexander Hamilton (who was killed in a duel) and the location where George Washington got inaugurated.

Thorin revealed the significance of the structures in front of us; these are locations many of us walk by every day, and the majority of us at the time did not know this was where the U.S. Congress assembled and produced the Bill of Rights, or where President George Washington took his first oath of office. Although it was a hot day, it was delightful to have Thorin  teach us about the American History of Lower Manhattan.

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Survivor Testimony

Evan: The testimony - gave me an insight  into what millions of people went through during the Holocaust. As we are the next generation to carry on the legacy of these people and represent those who were not able to survive, it is our job to tell these stories and show everyone what they stand for. Overall, I enjoyed the passion and the courage of the survivors to come out and tell their story after years of oppression and shock from what they went through. It was an experience I will never forget.

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ADL Partnership

Tandrila: It was really interesting to give a tour to ADL members in a different way than HSAPS usually give it to kids. The ADL members were excellent listeners, and they seemed engaged  by the concepts that were discussed in the tour and the meetings. In addition, the survivor testimony was really moving and fascinating, since we got a closer look at experiences within concentration camps along with pictures with family members of the survivor. Overall, it was great day, and I learned a lot.

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Week 4- My name is Tandrila Dutta, and I work in the Education Department. What I’ve learned from this department so far is how to perform various tasks using Altru and organizing data. I also learned how to reach out to other institutions. My favorite part is making outreach calls to camp groups. I hope to polish my communication  and organizational skills.

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HSAP Tours

David: My favorite part about giving tours is the enthusiasm and reaction I get from the kids! It is a great feeling to see kids having fun, while simultaneously  learning about the Jewish people. In addition, I learn a lot myself from the interactions; I learn from them as they learn from me. A Jewish camp group taught me Hebrew words and Jewish holidays I wasn’t familiar with!

Nariko:What I enjoy most about tours is passing on what I learned in  the HSAP program to the younger groups. Like David said, I am also pleasantly surprised  by how much I learn from the kids in return. Kids have taught me about language and their culture.

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My name is Shiri Sandler and I am the U.S. Director of the Auschwitz Jewish Center. What I hope the HSAPs are able to learn about  my department is the help that we as the museum are providing to the Polish government.. My favorite part of my job is working with students. What I hope my Apprentices take with them from this experience is a new idea on what programs a Museum has to offer and how museums work in conjunction with other museums.

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HSAP 2015- Michael

Week 3- My name is Michael, and this week I am in the Coordinator in the Education department. So far I have learned how to use Altru to an extent where I am comfortable navigating it. One of the best parts about being a coordinator is acting as the glue to connect all the HSAPs with the information they need to keep them on track. I really like helping my fellow HSAPs and alleviating the overwhelming aspects of their work. I definitely see myself being a coordinator of an organization in the future

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HSAP 2015- Chris

Week 3 – My name is Chris, and the department I am currently working in is Finance. So far I have learned what it is like to work and act appropriately in a professional environment. In the Finance department, I am learning the process of dealing with confidential paperwork, whether its filing invoices, matching receipts, etc. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching myself mature in terms of managing my time to get work done. Although I enjoy learning about finance and speaking with my Departmentor about the financial process, I don’t see myself working in this field in the future—I am looking forward to being a music/sports journalist.

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The Torah and the Gita

As many of the HSAPs know, the Torah is the central book for the Jewish people. There are many examples of the Torah throughout the Museum and it is often the first place we start our tour. One can take years and years to learn, describe, and analyze the Torah. The Torah and its teachings direct people on how to live their lives and practice the Jewish religion. Although this text is only used by the Jewish people, it still covers the complete array of human and social behavior.

Gift of Rabbi Sidney HarcsztarkId no. 2467.91, Judaica, Hebrew

One of the HSAPS, Tandrila, practices Hinduism, so I decided to ask her if there was a book or script that held a similar purpose as the Torah, and she introduced me to the Bhagavad Gita, sometimes referred to simply as “Gita.” This is a 700-verse Hindu scripture in Sanskrit that is part of the epic Mahabharata. The Bhagavad Gita is similar to the Torah in that it’s the eternal message of spiritual wisdom for the Hindu religion. The word gita means song and the word Bhagavad means God—which is why it is commonly referred to as the “Song of God.” One may ask, but why call it a song? This is because if spoken perfectly, the rhyming meter is beautifully harmonic and melodious. Tandrila said she currently doesn’t read or study the script, however, she read parts of it when she was younger.

http://radhamadhavdham.org/what-is-bhagwat-gita/

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Survivor Testimony

This past Wednesday, July 8th, Gina Lanceter—the grandmother of Amanda Lanceter, the Manager of Curriculum and Teacher Programs here at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—recounted her incredible story of struggle and survival during the calamity that was the Holocaust. As a High School Apprentice (HSAP) who is only here for the summer, I felt both honored and grateful that I was able to listen to Ms. Lanceter in person as she told a story that seemed too incredible to be true; the way in which she narrated her life engaged every single person in the audience. This was most clearly demonstrated through the audible responses of virtually everyone there—her depictions of the numerous horrifying events that took place during that time shook everyone, and brought back to life the brutality of Europe in the 1940s.

It is clear that Ms. Lanceter is still pained by her past; she finds little need to visit Poland—and has never gone back—stating that she has no good memories there. While listening to her story, the moving expression on her face struck me; talking about her past is a struggle that gives her great pain and has affected her her entire life. Her strength to overcome that pain and push herself to share her story is worthy of the highest praise, and is of the utmost importance. As the youngest ones working in the Museum, my fellow HSAPs and I feel especially lucky; we are constantly reminded of the rare opportunity we have as the last generation able to  hear testimony directly from Holocaust survivors. That is what makes Ms. Lanceter so admirable. She, along with few others, does important work—by speaking out, teaching, and interacting with the youngest generation.  Ms. Lanceter and other survivors are sending an extremely powerful and influential message through their work.  They lead young people on a path to activism and strength, and by sending a strong message— “never be a bystander” —they truly have an effect on the majority of the young people they come into contact with. They are actively changing the world, providing the stepping stones to tolerance, cooperation, and humanity, and preventing something like the Holocaust from ever happening again. As Celia Kener (another survivor) said to the HSAPs when she told us her story, “We are the generation Hitler expected to eliminate, but you are the generation he could never have imagined.”

-Alejo, High School Apprentice 2015

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Departmentor- Bonnie 

My name is Bonnie, and I work in the Education department. I hope to expose the HSAP’s to what it is like to work in the education department and organize the HSAP program. My favorite part of my job is to work with the HSAP’s. I hope my Apprentices take away what it’s like work on projects with others and manage their time productively.

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HSAP 2015- Shu 

Week 1

My name is Shu  and the department I am working in is FASPE. I’ve learned to include all people, and always learn from others. I liked researching different organizations and grants because they related to my professional career. I hope to become open minded and organized.

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HSAP 2015- Fabiana 

Week 1

My name is Fabiana and the department I am working in is Education. So far I've learned that working with new programs and databases are not as easy as they may seem, and that sometimes it is important to ask questions, no matter how redundant they may seem. So far my favorite part has been expanding my knowledge on certain protocols that museums go through to raise awareness about themselves. Things such as phone calls, mass emails, etc. What I hope to get out of this department is a better understanding of new databases and programs, as well as expanding my interpersonal skills during phone calls.