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Unsung Heroes In History


Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. & the March on Washington - Analysis of a Social Justice Movement
Students will examine the civil rights movement through two key films: Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech and The March (1964), a restored documentary on the March on Washington. After viewing, students will use 10 criteria to evaluate whether the movement meets the standards of a true social justice movement—analyzing its stated goals and actions, commitment to equity and human dignity, openness to dissent, use of nonviolence, reliance on truth over propag


HAYM SOLOMON: The Financier Who Helped Fund America's Freedom
Haym Solomon was a Jewish immigrant, financier, and unsung hero of the American Revolution who played a crucial role in securing funds for the war effort. Born in Poland in 1740, he immigrated to America in 1772 and became a successful merchant and banker.


American Thought Leaders: Black Christians Enslaved in Africa, an Interview With Simon Deng and Charles Jacobs
This moving interview on American Thought Leaders introduces two modern day heroes - Simon Deng and Charles Jacobs - who discuss the ongoing struggle against slavery, human trafficking, and genocide in Africa, and the impact of Islamist extremism. Simon Deng, formerly enslaved, shares his personal story of escape and the horrors of slavery in Sudan. He and Charles Jacobs, who helped free tens of thousands of slaves in Sudan, highlight the international community's lack of res


60 Minutes on Sir Nicholas Winton
This is a "60 Minutes" episode that focuses on the story of Sir Nicholas Winton, a British humanitarian who famously rescued hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia just before World War II, often referred to as "Nicky's Children." Meet Sir Winton and the people he saved!


Schindler’s List
Schindler’s List is a powerful film by Steven Spielberg that tells the true story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved over 1,100 Jewish people during the Holocaust by employing them in his factory. The movie shows the horrors of the Holocaust and the impact one person can make.


Miracle at Moreaux
An exciting, endearing film about how a Catholic nun, Sister Gabrielle (played by Loretta Swit), and a group of Christian school children in France helped three Jewish children escape the Nazis. Due to antisemitic lies their parents told them, the Christian children are, at first, not very friendly to these unexpected Jewish strangers. In a short time, however, the children develop a strong bond.


The Number on Great Grandpa’s Arm
This short family film, presented with the Museum of Jewish Heritage, introduces Holocaust history to a new generation. When 10-year-old Elliott asks his 90-year-old great-grandfather, Jack, about the number tattooed on his arm, he sparks an intimate conversation about Jack’s life that spans happy memories of childhood in Poland, the loss of his family, surviving Auschwitz, and finding a new life in America.
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