Oak Ridge Today

Tennessee Holocaust Commission accepting student entries for 2022 contest

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Mira Kimmelman challenged students and those in her audiences to reflect upon the history of the Holocaust and contemporary examples of injustice. (Submitted photo)

“The Holocaust is a lesson in human (and inhuman) history that took place because of hate, bigotry, indifference—all characteristics that know no bounds. These traits spread like wildfire. If we remain indifferent to human suffering, it can happen again; it can happen here, and who knows who the next victims will be? Only by remembering the bitter lesson of Hitler’s legacy can we hope it will never be repeated. Teach it, tell it, read it.”—Mira Ryczke Kimmelman, “Echoes from the Holocaust”

Mira Kimmelman challenged students to reflect upon the history of the Holocaust and contemporary examples of injustice as she gave talks about her own experiences for more than 50 years, according to Larry Leibowitz, Knoxville attorney who is chair of the Tennessee Holocaust Commission.

The Mira Kimmelman “Learning from the Holocaust” Contest, established after her death in 2019, continues her legacy, a press release said. The contest invites Tennessee high school and middle school students to submit essays and projects that reflect how the lessons of the Holocaust are relevant to current events and their own lives.

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Holocaust Remembrance Program this Sunday

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Holocaust Remembrance Program 2018 Proclamation Reading (Submitted photo)

Holocaust Remembrance Day: The City of Oak Ridge has proclaimed May 5 to be Holocaust Remembrance Day for 2019.

The Jewish Congregation of Oak Ridge (JCOR) and the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church (ORUUC) have partnered together to present the annual Holocaust Remembrance Program, a press release said. It will be held from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the JCOR Sanctuary, 101 West Madison Lane in Oak Ridge, on May 5. There will be a candle lighting ceremony, songs, readings, and prayers. The Holocaust Remembrance Service is sponsored by the Oak Ridge Interfaith Partnership, and the public is encouraged to attend, the press release said. [Read more…]

Sister City Support Organization, Oak Ridge Schools select middle school exchange delegation

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The Sister City Support Organization in cooperation with Oak Ridge Schools has selected the 2017 delegation for the middle school exchange with Oak Ridge's sister city, Naka-shi, Japan. Delegates for the 2017 exchange are front, from left to right, Jordan Oxendine, Aidan Seay, Henri Scott, Mateo Cacheiro, Thomas Schultz, and Savanna Maddux; and back, RMS Chaperone Julie Kinder-McMillan, Bert Everitt, Alex Dahl, Alex Shanafield, Allison Myers, and JMS Chaperone Kristina Casalenuovo. (Submitted photo)

The Sister City Support Organization in cooperation with Oak Ridge Schools has selected the 2017 delegation for the middle school exchange with Oak Ridge’s sister city, Naka-shi, Japan. Delegates for the 2017 exchange are front, from left to right, Jordan Oxendine, Aidan Seay, Henri Scott, Mateo Cacheiro, Thomas Schultz, and Savanna Maddux; and back, RMS Chaperone Julie Kinder-McMillan, Bert Everitt, Alex Dahl, Alex Shanafield, Allison Myers, and JMS Chaperone Kristina Casalenuovo. (Submitted photo)

 

The Sister City Support Organization in cooperation with Oak Ridge Schools has selected the 2017 delegation for the middle school exchange with Oak Ridge’s sister city, Naka-shi, Japan.

The 10 rising eighth-grade students, representing both Robertsville and Jefferson middle schools, will be accompanied by two teacher chaperones. The group will travel to Japan in July and welcome the Naka students to Oak Ridge in August. This is the 26th year of the U.S.-Japanese exchange.

This press release and photo were submitted by Jerry Luckmann.

Julie Kinder-McMillan named Teacher of the Year in Oak Ridge

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Julie Kinder-McMillan

Julie Kinder-McMillan

 

Julie Kinder-McMillan of Robertsville Middle School has been named Teacher of the Year for Oak Ridge Schools.

Kinder-McMillan is the schools district’s nominee for state-level awards that the Tennessee Department of Education gives each year to outstanding educators to recognize their meritorious service and devotion to students.

“The department applauds teachers who care about children, who devote their professional lives to enriching the lives of Tennessee children, and who demonstrate exceptional gains in student achievement,” a press release said. “Each district in the state may submit one nominee for the state-level award.

Kinder-McMillan teaches eighth-grade reading/language arts as well as journalism and yearbook.

“One of her passions is to educate students about the Holocaust using the ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ as a learning platform, as Anne is close in age to her students,” the press release said. “It provides an entry point and puts a face on the nameless numbers of victims. Julie has participated in numerous trainings to enhance her teaching, and had the pleasure of bringing in Holocaust survivor, Mira Kimmelman, to meet her students.” [Read more…]