Schools

Hillel Academy Students Lend Life To History

Four Swampscott students portrayed historical figures.

 

This article was submitted by Diane Knopf.

Historical figures from America’s past came to life recently at Cohen Hillel Academy’s Living History Museum.  From poet Emily Dickinson to 9/11 hero Todd Beamer, the costumed characters wowed an audience of fellow students, community guests and parents.

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The school’s eighth-graders wrote and delivered monologues and created costumes and sets to depict the era and life of historical characters for an integrated language arts, social studies and art project.

The Living History Museum combined the concepts of tableaux vivants (scenes presented on stage by costumed actors who remain silent and motionless as if in a picture) and dramatic monologues (literary compositions in which a speaker reveals his or her character).

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Participating students included Jeremy Adner of Swampscott (portraying Henry Ford), Jared Blyer of Peabody (General George Patton), Amanda Callum of Swampscott (Martha Karolyi), Morgan Cooper of  Beverly (Jane Goodall), Rachel Garfield of Swampscott (Josephine Baker), Sammi Gilberg of Marblehead (Martha Washington), Tyler Gilman of Peabody (Albert Einstein), Alex Golding of  Danvers (Ulysses S. Grant), Sydney Goldman of Swampscott (Wilma Rudolph), Maxine Greenstein of Beverly (Betsy Ross), Max Gross of Marblehead (John F. Kennedy), Sophie Jacobs of  Peabody (Sacajawea), Noah Kaplan of Beverly (Thomas Edison), Zach Korff of Salem  (Jackie Robinson), Jade Leong of Lynn (Amelia Earhart), Rachel Liacos of Marblehead (Emily Dickinson), Akiva Or-Shahar of Andover (Wilbur Wright), Max Pastan of Marblehead (Walt Disney), Whitney Rosenberg of Swampscott (Jackie Kennedy), Jared Sinewitz of Peabody (Todd Beamer), Josh Tassinari of Marblehead (Steve Jobs), Tali Weinstein of Marblehead (Harry Truman) and Jocelyn Zimmerman of Peabody (Shirley Temple Black).

Hillel Academy Principal Sandy Freiberg congratulated students on their fine efforts, and borrowing phrases from two of the figures portrayed that evening, reminded students to "Never lose faith in yourself, because the results may be great."

Additional information about the K-8 Jewish day school serving all of Boston’s North Shore communities may be obtained by contacting Barbara Tanger, Director of Recruitment and Admissions at 781.639.2880 or at btanger@cohehillel.org.


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