5th Graders Connect to Their Personal Family Histories

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks once said, “To be a Jew is to inherit a faith from those who came before us, to live it, and to hand it on to those who will come after us. To be a Jew is to be a link in the chain of the generations.”

Our annual Fifth Grade Heritage Fair celebrates this value and culminates a year-long process. Students begin in the fall, delving into their families’ histories through a chosen family heirloom. They prepare essays, which are later immortalized in a book alongside professional photographs of all the artifacts. These books serve as keepsakes for each family and as the next edition in the school's rich Heritage Fair collection.

Students’ understandings of their heritages extend beyond their artifacts, with elaborate family trees created through the art program. All of these elements combine with public speaking for an evening of students sharing heirlooms, stories, and masterpieces with families.

As they do each year, the artifacts speak to powerful stories. This year’s included a button counter from the family’s Yonkers button business in the early 1900s, a great-great grandfather’s Megillah from Czechoslovakia, and a WWII US Army military jacket belonging to a great-grandfather whose life was saved when he disembarked from his unit’s boat to retrieve forgotten tefillin. His intended ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat.

This milestone project is a testament to the dedication and enthusiasm of the WDS community. Thank you to all those who contributed to its success!

Please enjoy photos of the evening and other milestone events here.