Bialik Student Published in Kathy Kacer's New Book

Bialik Student Rebecca Turner, Sec.2 with Kathy Kacer, holding a copy of We Are Their Voice.

Bialk High School Sec.1 welcomed Hebrew Academy’s Sec.1 and Grade 6 students on October 24 for a wonderful Jewish Book Month program with Toronto author Kathy Kacer.  Kathy introduced the packed audience at Bialik’s Mettarlin Hall to her latest book, We Are Their Voice: Young People Respond to the Holocaust (Holocaust Remembrance Book for Young Readers) a collection of stories written by young people from around the world.  Many of Kathy’s 16 books of award-winning historical fiction for children and teens are based on the Holocaust, including Clara’s War, Night Spies, The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser, and To Hope and Back: the story of the St.Louis.  This was a very special event for two Montreal high school students who came especially to meet the author; JPPS grads Charlie Ornstein and Rebecca Turner (Bialik Sec.2), whose stories were selected for publication in the new collection.  Kathy is inspired to reach as many young people as possible with her books and author tours, in order to create a new generation who will not let the lessons of the Holocaust be forgotten. For this latest project, she partnered with librarians and teachers to encourage students to research the period 1933-1945 in Europe and to imagine themselves as Jewish children growing up during that time. As part of the author’s video presentation, several of the young authors read moving passages from their works. The large student  audience was attentive and enthusiastic, and displayed a good knowledge of the period in their interactions with the author.  This program was organized by Montreal’s Jewish Public Library and we want to thank librarians Penny Fransblow of JPL, Norma Newman of Hebrew Academy and Bialik’s Marsha Lustigman for making it possible.

Monique Polak @ Bialik

Montreal author, journalist and cegep prof Monique Polak spent the afternoon of January 11 at Bialik, talking to students about writing and giving them wonderful ideas about how to realize their stories.  She made sure that each and every one in her Sec.2 audience wrote down all her tips for becoming a writer, and illustrated these with personal experiences from her writing life, such as how to pick up ideas for stories by eavesdropping - becoming a great listener is the first step to becoming a great storyteller.  Working with a smaller group of students later in the Library, Monique spoke about how stories are transformed into novels, and how hard it is to get published when you are just starting out as an author.  As the author of 12 books about young adults, (Miracleville, Junkyard Dog, What World Is Left, to name a few), Monique knows what it takes to be a writer.   Monique's writing tips include the following:

• Write every day
• Read every day
• Listen to those around you because everyone has a story 
• Writing is hard work
• Don't Give Up!!

Monique's memoir about her mother's experiences in Theriesenstadt is one of her favorites, and our students were very touched by the personal side of this story.  When Monique took off the the small engraved scene, created by her grandfather, which her mother carried with her throughout the war, and which Monique now wears around her neck, we were all honored to hold it.