[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 50 (Monday, April 12, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2202-S2203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               HOLOCAUST

  Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, it is my pleasure to be able to 
recognize an important project being undertaken by students at Horn 
Lake Middle School in Horn Lake, MS, to learn lessons from the 
Holocaust.
  This project was brought to my attention by Miss Sadie Hopkins who, 
with her seventh grade classmates, has worked months to collect 1.5 
million pennies--each coin representing one child lost in the 
Holocaust. Led by their teacher Susan Powell, these young people plan 
to use the pennies to understand the tragic and significant impact the 
Holocaust had on Jewish children during World War II and the ripple 
effects of that terrible time on families today.
  I am pleased that Miss Hopkins made me aware of this project, which 
should be viewed as an innovative endeavor in making history more real 
for our youth today. It has opened these students' minds to an 
important era in history and put them in touch with some of those whose 
lives were directly affected by the Holocaust. I commend the Horn Lake 
community for supporting this ongoing educational effort.
  Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the 
Record an article titled, ``Horn Lake Middle School students collecting 
pennies for Holocaust project,'' from the DeSoto Appeal.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

              [From the Commercial Appeal, Nov. 25, 2009]

   Horn Lake Middle School Students Collecting Pennies for Holocaust 
                                Project

                          (By Chris Van Tuyl)

       A teaching wall just inside the front entrance of Horn Lake 
     Middle School is really doing its job.
       Posted squares urge those passing by to consider this: 
     ``The estimated population of DeSoto County is 154,748. If 
     each person gave 10 pennies, we would have 1.5 million 
     pennies.''
       It would be an awful lot of coinage for an awfully 
     worthwhile cause. It's a school project spearheaded by 
     seventh-grade Spotlight students currently studying World War 
     II--with a significant focus on the Holocaust. Each penny 
     would stand for one child lost in the Holocaust.
       ``The pennies will be used in an online museum,'' Horn Lake 
     Spotlight teacher Susan

[[Page S2203]]

     Powell said. ``We will host a (virtual) room, and this is 
     being done through an organization (Christian Friends of 
     Israel) in Memphis. We are going to assist them. The kids are 
     brainstorming on what to do with the pennies.''
       Seventh-grade language arts teacher Melissa Swartz has an 
     idea, and it involves her artistic husband.
       ``We've talked about getting enormous frames built, lay the 
     pennies out side by side, have Michael come in and help the 
     kids create some kind of Holocaust scene,'' Swartz said. 
     ``It's about getting the kids involved because we want them 
     to have the biggest part of this.''
       On Monday, students were on the receiving end of a speech 
     from an 81-year-old Holocaust survivor.
       ``Lovely lady,'' Powell said. ``Many of the children are 
     the same age (12) that the survivor was when she was taken 
     from her home. They would feel her pain if they were moved 
     and their family members were killed. She knew immediately 
     that her parents were sent to the concentration camp.''
       Added Swartz: ``They were just entranced. I've never had a 
     group of students as involved as mine are this year. They've 
     totally embraced everything about it.''
       Studying this part of history hits home for Melissa and 
     Michael, as both are Jewish.
       ``My husband's family cannot be traced back past World War 
     II,'' said Melissa, ``and I have wonderful and not-so-
     wonderful stories that I relay to the kids. Some have happy 
     endings and some don't.
       ``So many of our kids have extended family right here with 
     them--a grandmother, a great-grandmother--they have all of 
     that. My husband doesn't.''
       As part of the penny project, the Horn Lake students are 
     writing letters to community leaders and to President Barack 
     Obama.
       ``We would like for this to be something that all the 
     students in DeSoto County help us with,'' Powell said. ``We 
     know we can reach our goal.''
       Swartz is also attempting to contact Jewish celebrities 
     such as Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Stiller and 
     David Beckham.
       ``I'm going to get their fan mail addresses or whatever,'' 
     she said. ``We're going to send (letters) and tell them, `We 
     want your pennies!' ''
       Pennies from the community can be dropped off at the 
     school, 6125 Hurt Road.

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