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.