Long Island Teens Keep Holocaust Memories Alive Through Art

When Gilda Zirinsky was just 4 years old, she heard enemy planes overhead as her family fled for their lives during the Holocaust. Now living in Great Neck, she's making sure a new generation never forgets what happened.

Zirinsky is one of several Holocaust survivors working with Long Island high school students through the Witness Project. The program pairs teens one-on-one with survivors, transforming their memories into performances and art that will outlast them.

About 50 students from across Long Island spent months learning survivors' personal histories. They brought these stories to life through music, acting, and paintings that capture moments of loss, survival, and resilience.

"Every survivor has a different story," Zirinsky said. "And it's important to listen to every history."

The Ripple Effect

The students didn't just learn history from textbooks. They sat with people who lived through one of humanity's darkest chapters, hearing details that made the past viscerally real.

"Being in this program really shows how bad the Holocaust was firsthand," student Blake Cagner said. The impact goes far beyond the classroom walls.

Program founder Rita Levy says the timing is urgent. As the number of living survivors declines each year, preserving these firsthand accounts becomes more critical.

"There have been hundreds of students who have heard the stories, and we've created thousands of witnesses," Levy said. These students will carry these stories forward to their own children and communities, multiplying the reach of each survivor's voice.

The performances and artwork now serve as permanent records. When survivors can no longer share their experiences themselves, these student-created pieces will continue teaching future generations.

The Witness Project proves that the most powerful history lessons come from human connection, and that young people are ready to shoulder the responsibility of remembering.