On Friday, Jan. 12, representatives from the Great Neck Public Schools were joined by New York State Regent Roger Tilles for a trip into Manhattan to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust and the Center for Jewish History.
This museum tour was attended by Board of Education trustees, Superintendent Kenneth R. Bossert, central administrators, and secondary principals as an opportunity to explore additional local resources to advance the District’s anti-bias initiatives.
Michael S. Glickman, co-president of the United Parent-Teacher Council, extended an invitation to district leadership to visit these locations and learn more about their programs and resources.
Glickman has extensive knowledge of these facilities, having previously served as president and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage and led the Center for Jewish History.
The first stop on the trip was a visit to the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, which was founded in 1997 as New York’s Holocaust memorial museum and stands as the third largest Holocaust museum in the world.
The group then visited the Center for Jewish History, where Mr. Glickman led Board trustees, district administrators, and Regent Tilles through the Center’s impressive exhibits and historical artifacts dating back centuries.
In his report to the community during the Board of Education meeting on Jan. 16, Bossert thanked Glickman for organizing the tour and sharing resources that “will help to shape our curriculum for years to come.”
Bossert also expressed his appreciation to the Board for their participation as hands-on learners alongside administrators and their commitment to the district’s anti-bias initiatives.
“I commend the board of education and administration for taking on the charge to review all the work that we’re doing as a District to oppose antisemitism and hate, and taking a careful look at the resources available to us to move our program forward in a very positive way,” said Bossert.
Earlier that same week, 15 GNPS representatives visited the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County for a workshop titled, “Deconstructing Symbols of Hate.”
On Monday, Jan. 8, HMTC’s director of education, Christopher Probst, presented resources to an audience that included teachers, building principals, central administrators, and Bossert.
The district has a long-standing partnership with the HMTC in support of programs to educate students, encourage acceptance, and combat all forms of hate.
