Desire for ChangeDesire for Change

Symposium, Day 1Symposium, Day 1

November 4, 2009November 4, 2009

GOALS:GOALS:

• To build and create an inclusive, respectful and caring learning community

• To reflect on the history of the Holocaust to bring about change in our communities today

• To examine the novel and the opera, And the Rat Laughed, as a means of deepening our understanding of the impact of hate and oppression

• To share strategies and ideas to improve our school communities

AGENDA:AGENDA:

9:00 O’CanadaPrayer-SEH’s Grade 11 Religion Vocal Class

9:10 *Introduction*Perspectives on the Holocaust/Poland and France

Experiences *The Holocaust Context of Bullying on an

International Scale

*Perspective from Survivors of the Holocaust10:15 Break10:30 Introduction and Clip11:20 Questions/Answers11:30 Lunch/Preparation for Presentations12:10 School Presentations 1:30 Summary1:35 *Opera performance

*Conclusion and Stone Distribution *Dismissal

 

Perspectives on the Perspectives on the HolocaustHolocaust

France and Poland ExcursionFrance and Poland Excursion

Surviving the HolocaustSurviving the Holocaust

Nava SemelNava Semel Nava Semel, born in Tel Aviv, Nava Semel, born in Tel Aviv,

holds an MA in Art History and holds an MA in Art History and is an art critic. Semel has is an art critic. Semel has worked as a TV, radio and worked as a TV, radio and recording producer, and as a recording producer, and as a journalist. She has written journalist. She has written poetry, prose for children and poetry, prose for children and adults, television scripts and adults, television scripts and opera libretti, in addition to opera libretti, in addition to translating plays. Semel has translating plays. Semel has received several literary prizes, received several literary prizes, including the American including the American National Jewish Book Award for National Jewish Book Award for children’s literature (1990), the children’s literature (1990), the Women Writers of the Women Writers of the Mediterranean Award (1994), Mediterranean Award (1994), the Austrian Best Radio Drama the Austrian Best Radio Drama Award (19996), and the Tel Award (19996), and the Tel Aviv Woman of the Year in Aviv Woman of the Year in Literature Award (2007). Literature Award (2007). Author, And the Rat Laughed

Ella Milch-SheriffElla Milch-Sheriff Born in Haifa, Ella Milch-Sheriff Born in Haifa, Ella Milch-Sheriff

began her composer career at began her composer career at the age of 12. Ella graduated in the age of 12. Ella graduated in composition from the Rubin composition from the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. Ella composes for University. Ella composes for opera, and has written chamber, opera, and has written chamber, orchestral and vocal music as orchestral and vocal music as well as popular music and solo well as popular music and solo works. works.

In 2005, Ella Milch-Sheriff was In 2005, Ella Milch-Sheriff was awarded the prestigious" Israeli awarded the prestigious" Israeli Prime-Minister Prize” for her Prime-Minister Prize” for her musical works and the opera, musical works and the opera, “And the Rat Laughed” “And the Rat Laughed” conceived with Nava Semel and conceived with Nava Semel and based on her book received the based on her book received the Rosenblume Prize for Rosenblume Prize for achievement.achievement.

Composer, And the Rat Laughed

An Overview…An Overview…

School School PresentationsPresentations

Brother Andre Catholic High School

She screamed. She kicked. She broke things.

Why are you giving me away to people I don’t even know? I’ve been good, haven’t I? I’ve done everything you told me. So why are you making me go? My room. My doll with braids. The window with the lace curtains. The rose-patterned ones. Mother made them.

I love you. How come you don’t love me back? I won’t go. I don’t want to. I won’t. You’re a bad father and mother. In the end she hit them. Now she really was a bad girl. She had it coming. That’s really how the story begins.

~p. 11

Cardinal Carter Catholic High School

Her senses, which had grown sharp almost instantly, began grasping the subterranean movement. The rotting of the potatoes. The slow progress of the roots. The groaning of the wood in ladder leading down to the pit. The wheezing of the seeds as they fought to sprout. The drops of rain percolating through the soil. She learned to recognize the sounds above ground too. The lowing and growling. The footsteps of cows. The croaking of frogs in a faraway lake. She concentrated on every murmur, deciphering its effect on the world above. She translated the sounds into pictures. The hay being stacked up into the silo. The thrashing of the pitchfork. The neighing of the farmer’s horse as it crossed the wheat field. The farmer lashing out at his wife: What did we need this for, you fool! And for next to nothing too. Jesus, that little Jew is a danger to all of us.

~ p. 21

Father Bressani Catholic High School

Fr. Bressani students will depict the Holocaust through poetry and drama (poetry and tableaus). Their focus will be on broken promises and the questioning of the victims' fate.

Father McGivney Catholic Academy

The story should be recorded in full, the old woman hears a voice within her, echoing the public demand to tell it before it’s too late. Those who can tell such stories are numbered. But she and others like her will never be the perfect storytellers. All they can offer is the shell. We’ll have to settle for that. One thing that the old woman’s hands remember well – because a flame burns on in her fingers to remind her, oblivious to the main memory valve – the slough of the snakes. Scaly, coarse, refusing to crumble. The little-girl-who-once-was envied the snakes.

A shell of a story, or a slough. No more.

~p. 47

Holy Cross Catholic High School

Holy Cross is demonstrating the power and significance of one's memory. It is unequivocally true that memory is an important aspect in this storyline, specifically in our piece. It is through the grandmother's utter pain in her unintentional forgetfulness and the granddaughter's desire to comprehend a horrid story that the true importance of memory is depicted.

Jean Vanier Catholic High School

Students will be presenting a choral reading with a focus on what happens when we don't speak out against injustice. Using the text, different voices will be used to illustrate how, when we "laugh" rather than speak out, we choose to not act. It is this inaction that leads to human oppression and injustice and ultimately our own self-imposed "burial".

Our Lady of the Lake Catholic College

Students have created a 2-minute film, highlighting an artistic interpretation of this poem:

Saint

When Stefan the Saint I want the first StefanWas as small as an elf To come and hunt downHe was snatched from his bed Mister Satan who ownsBy Mister Satan himself The bed-pit in the groundA horrible monster Cause if rats were creaturesWas what his parents found That Saint Stefan adoredTheir sweet and cuddly baby He’d have Heaven summonDisappeared in the ground A hundred saints or more

Sacred Heart Catholic High School

The students at Sacred Heart C.H.S. present a video montage on

Girl & Rat Myth: A Chronology.

St. Augustine Catholic High School

Y-Me is obsessed with finding out the truth about the girl and the rat. She decides to let her brain unravel the truth instead of depending on the

stories that have evolved over time. Her brain allows her to see the priest

that has nursed the girl back to health; the root of the true story.

St. Elizabeth Catholic High School

"Memory as an event, memory as an account, memory as an experience, and memory as an emotion. Our goal is to explore memory through light, music

and tableau."

St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic High School

Through interpretive dance and music, SJB students will depict the haunting affect of memory and the importance of storytelling and having "remembearers".

St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School

Through interpretative movement, live music and visual art Saint Joan of Arc students will recreate the scene where Father Stanislaw chooses to take the girl from the Farmer's Wife, enabling

her refuge from the Nazis.

St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic High School

18 September 1943

"I chose not to know."

St. Robert Catholic High School

26 September 1943

The students from St. Roberts, through an abstract theatrical interpretation, will portray concept of the girl being

trapped by memories and how tolerance can free her from them.

St. Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School

25 December 1943

Our performance uses tableaux, song, and narration to portray the conflicting emotions of Father Stanislaw as he delivers Christmas

mass. The sounds and spirit of the Christmas celebration are difficult for him to fathom because not only does he know the ugly truth about the realities of holocaust victims, but he must nurture and

attempt to provide refuge for one of these victims - the little Jewish girl. The Nazi's presence at the church is symbolic rather than

literal; although the congregation is blind, there is no escaping what the Nazi represents to the priest and to the child in his charge.

Crossroads Central

1 January 1945

Students will be performing a musical tableaux sequence representing the last chapter of the

novel focussing on the diary itself as a testimony to the realities of injustices. They will highlight how the written word is concrete proof

about the world's injustices. The hope is that through the written word we too can be

informed and hopefully be enlightened to stop hatred and injustices from occurring again.

Closing CeremonyClosing Ceremony

In Jewish tradition, when one visits In Jewish tradition, when one visits the grave of a person who has passed the grave of a person who has passed on, a stone or pebble in left as a on, a stone or pebble in left as a token of remembrance. Symbolically, token of remembrance. Symbolically, it suggests the it suggests the continuingcontinuing presence presence of love and memory which are as of love and memory which are as strong and enduring as a rock. strong and enduring as a rock.

After Today…After Today…

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www.thedesireforchange.blogspot.cowww.thedesireforchange.blogspot.comm

Respond to today’s posting.Respond to today’s posting. Stay tuned for photos of today’s event.Stay tuned for photos of today’s event. Talk to your teacher about staying in touch Talk to your teacher about staying in touch

with students from other schools via the blog.with students from other schools via the blog.