To begin the research, the school collaborated with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the Jewish Museum of Thessaloniki. The students explored aspects of the local community’s history related to the Holocaust, focusing on personal stories, local records and archives, as well as four key historic sites that reflect Jewish presence and impact.

Students examined four key sites to learn about how the events of the Holocaust affected people in Thessaloniki; the Allatini orphanage (a refuge for Jewish orphans); the Italia Yashan synagogue (destroyed by the Nazis); the old Jewish Cemetery (also destroyed) and a plaque outside the school itself, commemorating the loss of 143 students in Nazi concentration camps.

The project took a creative approach and the students selected texts by Jewish authors, then dramatized them and presented them in a theatrical format. This creative approach helped them to process and express the emotional impact of their learning in unique, personal and innovative ways, making the lessons of the Holocaust both more accessible and more memorable.

Students presented their work to peers and teachers, enabling the wider school community to make meaningful connections between the town’s history and the broader events of the Holocaust. The school plan to present the findings at the students’ Graduation Ceremony, giving parents and the broader local community the opportunity to engage with this important work.