Story and Video: John Marshall Students Plant Crocus Bulbs In Memory Of Child Holocaust Victims
(Photo by Shelley Hanson) John Marshall High School students take turns planting crocus bulbs on Monday, a project to remember the 1.5 million children who were killed during the Holocaust.
(Photo by Shelley Hanson) Barb Lewine, Holocaust educator with the West Virginia Commission on Holocaust Education, talks to John Marshall High School students on Monday about how the Jewish people were forced to wear yellow stars on their clothing to make them stand out.
(Photo by Shelley Hanson) John Marshall High School teacher Tim Garrison and Barb Lewine, Holocaust educator with the West Virginia Commission on Holocaust Education, hosted the Crocus Project for students on Monday at the school.
(Photo by Shelley Hanson) Violinist Cheyenne Harvey, a senior at John Marshall High School, plays music during the Crocus Project on Monday outside of the school.
(Photo by Shelley Hanson) John Marshall High School students take turns planting crocus bulbs on Monday, a project to remember the 1.5 million children who were killed during the Holocaust.
(Photo by Shelley Hanson) Barb Lewine, Holocaust educator with the West Virginia Commission on Holocaust Education, talks to John Marshall High School students on Monday about how the Jewish people were forced to wear yellow stars on their clothing to make them stand out.
(Photo by Shelley Hanson) John Marshall High School teacher Tim Garrison and Barb Lewine, Holocaust educator with the West Virginia Commission on Holocaust Education, hosted the Crocus Project for students on Monday at the school.
(Photo by Shelley Hanson) Violinist Cheyenne Harvey, a senior at John Marshall High School, plays music during the Crocus Project on Monday outside of the school.
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GLEN DALE — John Marshall High School students planted 140 crocus flower bulbs on Monday representing some of the 1.5 million Jewish children killed during the Holocaust.
In the spring the plants will pop out of the ground, with flowers yellow in color, symbolizing the yellow stars Jews in Nazi-occupied areas were forced to wear during World War II. The bulbs were placed around the school’s marquee.
Monday’s program was organized by Barb Lewine, Holocaust educator with the West Virginia Commission on Holocaust Education and JMHS teacher Tim Garrison.
“This is the crocus project that we’re taking part in through the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh,” she said, noting the program originated in Ireland. “It’s all about planting these little bulbs.”
To give context to that amount of people, Lewine said, the state of West Virginia only has about 1.7 million residents. Approximately 6 million Jews were killed overall in the Holocaust.
“It’s like saying the entire state, everybody, was killed,” she noted.
She said the yellow crocus was chosen because during the Holocaust, Jewish people were forced to wear a yellow star sewn onto their clothing so they could be easily identified.
“When the crocuses bloom, they actually have six yellow points,” she said. “But it’s also the idea of not thinking of numbers, but thinking of individuals.”
Lewine said another 90 crocus bulbs were being planted as Central Elementary School as well.
She said there was a significance to planting the bulbs on Nov. 9 as, nearly nine decades ago in 1938, was the “Night of Broken Glass,” when Nazi Germany began a violent riot against Jewish people and business owners.
“That is when the Holocaust really got underway. After five years of persecution, they really started ramping it up,” she said. “And so, by planting these now here in November, they will come up in the spring. We are showing the resilience and remembering what happened then and to remember and to not let this happen again.”
Lewine said since the bulbs are perennial plants, the students will get to see them bloom every year.
“Every year they are seen they will remember that they planted them,” she said, noting the students can then pass down what they learned to others.
“The story and the information go on and on and that’s what is important,” Lewine said.
“When we look at what’s going on in the world today and we see so many people standing up and saying no, this is not acceptable; we are making a difference by doing that. That’s why it’s important to learn the lessons of the past so we don’t let things like that happen again,” she added.
Sophomore Gracelynne Welch described participating in the project as “meaningful.”
“Learning about the Holocaust has always been super important to me. … It will be a good reminder of what we did today and a good reminder of the people who didn’t get the opportunity to live the life we get to live,” she said of the project.
While the planting occurred, JMHS student and violinist Cheyenne Harvey played music. Former Marshall County Commissioner Mike Ferro was also in attendance and helped plant some bulbs as well.