Where do you teach and what subject do you teach?
I teach Modern World History (Enlightenment to WWII), Economics and Holocaust Studies at Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery, Alabama.  Trinity’s Holocaust Studies class was the first Holocaust course to be taught at the high school level in the state of Alabama.  Lisa Lawrence, who now teaches at Holtville High School in Elmore County, Alabama, was the cofounder and co-teacher of that groundbreaking class.  Bob Taffet, the most interesting man in the world – veteran, educator, entrepreneur and member of the Jewish community of Montgomery, Alabama – is and always has been an essential guide for the Holocaust Studies course.

How did you get involved with the JFR?
I began attending workshops and seminars with organizations such as the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, Facing History, Echoes and Reflections and the UAB Center for Human Rights.  At some point, the programs and scholarships offered by the JFR were brought to my attention and I began seeking out those opportunities.

What drew you to the organization and its programming?
The mission of the JFR is astonishing. I had no idea, until I was introduced to the organization, how much the JFR has done and continues to do for rescuers as they age.  Not only is the JFR a part of active Holocaust education, they maintain real, personal connections with those who deserve so much credit and are so often forgotten or overlooked.

What was the most compelling thing you learned as an Alfred Lerner Fellow?
I learned that teachers all over the country and world are struggling to keep the Holocaust a part of the curriculum and are fighting a wave of conspiracy theories that seek to turn the world’s most organized and efficient genocide into myth.  They are fighting administrations, school boards, parents and even governments who (at best) think the best way to deal with tragedy is to bury it in the past and minimize the damage, and (at worst) seek to rewrite history through lies of omission.

What is your favorite memory from your participation in JFR programming?

Getting to meet Roman Kent, receive a signed copy of his children’s book “My Dog Lala” and hear him recount his experiences in such an intimate forum will always be one of my most treasured experiences.

How do you feel the Lerner fellowship has impacted your life, both personally and professionally?
The fellowship felt like getting a Master’s Degree in Holocaust education.  The volume of reading required before attending added to the sheer number of distinguished authors, professors and researchers who gave us a crash course on everything from the legal conundrums faced at the Nuremberg trials to the mechanics and infrastructure that were fashioned to carry out such horrendous acts to the 1946 massacres of Jews returning home. It felt a bit like drinking from a fire hydrant.  But, being an Olympic level note-taker, I left with forty pages of single spaced typed notes that have armed and guided me ever since.  The reading, video and photographic recommendations from such respected figures in the Holocaust community is a never ending source of material for me.  I feel like a thoroughly competent instructor in the field of Holocaust education, not a novice, and that is as personal as it is professional since any teacher will tell you that teaching is more of a personal calling than a job.

Anything else you’d like to share with the JFR’s followers and supporters?
Since becoming an Alfred Learner Fellow in 2016 I have been able to take two crews of high school students from Trinity Presbyterian School to Central Europe to explore locations important in the study of the Holocaust and the larger context of WWII.  Students have explored world class museums such as the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the Polin Museum in Warsaw. They have toured Dachau outside Munich and Auschwitz-Birkenau near Oświęcim, Poland.  Students have been able to visit some of the oldest and best preserved synagogues in Prague and Krakow as well as monuments to the victims of the Holocaust in Berlin and Warsaw.  Another trip is planned for January, 2023.  Lisa Lawrence, aforementioned, helped plan and execute the inaugural trip in 2018.  Bob Taffet, aforementioned, is our faithful travel companion and resident expert on everything.

Where do you teach and what subject do you teach?
I teach civics at Pine View School for the Gifted

How did you get involved with the JFR?
I became involved when Bernadette Bennett, Sarasota County School’s Social Studies Program Specialist, recommended me to attend the fellowship program over the summer.

What drew you to the organization and its programming? 
I was teaching a Holocaust elective at the time and it was such an amazing opportunity to learn from the JFR. I had to do it!

What was the most compelling thing you learned as an Alfred Lerner Fellow?
Learning about the Russians and the Holocaust

What is your favorite memory from your participation in JFR programming?
While the sessions were very informative, I also enjoyed the informal portions of the program where participants would network and mingle. We had some very in-depth discussions which also contributed to my educational experience.

How do you feel the Lerner fellowship has impacted your life, both personally and professionally?
I feel honored to tell people that I am an Alfred Lerner Fellow. It helped me so much when teaching my Holocaust elective, I learned first and second-hand what hate can do to people and societies. The training was so moving and I was able to pass that on to my students. I am forever changed.

Anything else you’d like to share with the JFR’s followers and supporters?
All these years later Ms. Stahl always keeps in touch. It is such an honor to know her, I will forever be moved by what I learned from her and the JFR.