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Students create memorial museum for human rights

North Saanich middle school opens its third Holocaust display
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Maud van Aerts adjusts her tree


 

A pile of shoes surrounded in barbed wire sit atop a table.

“Never again” painted in red on the soles, the shoes represent the Nazis stripping the Jews of their clothing.

A hand, arm clad in stripes, reaches through the pile grasping a star.

Names of death camps mark the hand and a telltale number stands out across the wrist.

Josh Carmichael created the sculpture as part of the third North Saanich middle school Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.

“There’s a lot of really cool projects,” the Grade 8 student said. “I think it’s a great way to show people about what happened and to educate them.”

A visit to the Anne Frank house and museum in Amsterdam inspired Grade 7 student Maud van Aerts to create the tree branches of her display.

“I knew a little bit about her, but I wanted to know more,” she said.

The branches are like a three-dimensional version of Frank’s famous diary, filled with photos and mementos the girl might have had.

“It’s important to know the history and it’s also really interesting what happened during World War II,” van Aerts said. “A lot of students put a lot of effort into projects and they’re really interesting. There are a lot of different topics we’ve been studying about.”

About 250 children and six teachers came together to create the emotional display that ranges in topic from the European Holocaust to B.C.’s residential schools.

The displays aren’t simply static – the students develop characters and draw visitors through the museum.

Guests must book tours online at northsaanich.sd63.bc.ca.

The Holocaust Museum runs Feb. 13, 15, 16, and Feb. 20 to 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the school, 10475 McDonald Park Rd.

A book and DVD documenting the first two museums can be ordered during tours of the museum.