Gov. Murphy tours Kittatinny Regional High School Holocaust and Genocide Research Center
HAMPTON TOWNSHIP, NJ (Sussex County) – On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy helped dedicate the new Holocaust and Genocide Research Center at Kittatinny Regional High School, a unique educational project that combines history, remembrance, and student involvement.
Standing tall at 6’4”, the governor had no trouble signing the top of the wall of visitors as he joined students, faculty, and community members for the ceremonial unveiling. The center, a collaboration between 2024 Sussex County Teacher of the Year Mary Houghtaling and Holocaust survivor Maud Dahme, is a testament to the power of education and remembrance. Dahme, a key figure in the project, hosted the governor’s visit.
The center, which occupies a section of the school’s library complex, was conceived by Houghtaling and Dahme to create a place of learning and reflection. Students at the school were directly involved in designing and helping stock the center, giving them a personal stake in preserving the history of the Holocaust and other genocides.
A notable feature of the center is its 2,000-volume collection of books that once belonged to the late Oscar Pinkus, a Holocaust survivor. Some of these books date back to when Pinkus was a child in Germany. “My husband and I stacked them in the back of his pick-up and brought them to the school,” said Houghtaling, recalling how the collection made its way to the center. In addition to the books, the center also houses a cabinet of Pinkus’ bound notes, detailing the contents of the collection, available for researchers by appointment.
The idea for a Holocaust memorial began during a class trip to the Jewish Museum in New York City. As Houghtaling worked on her second master’s degree, the project gained momentum. Now, as the current Sussex County Teacher of the Year, Houghtaling has seen her vision come to fruition with the opening of the center, which is the only one of its kind in the nation.
In addition to the collection of books, the center features works of portraiture by Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Among the pieces is artwork depicting Kristallnacht, the violent attacks on Jewish people and property in November 1938. One of the most iconic images is a representation of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl whose diary, written while in hiding from the Nazis, has become one of the most poignant accounts of the Holocaust.
While the center highlights the Holocaust, its focus is broader, aiming to educate about other genocides around the world. A prominent wall timeline tracks the history of genocides, while a map displays the global locations where these atrocities have occurred. The ceiling of the center is adorned with paper butterflies, each symbolizing a person who perished in the Holocaust, made by current community members in memory of their ancestors.
After signing the wall, Gov. Murphy remarked that the exhibits were “really impressive,” drawing on his own experience as the U.S. ambassador to Germany from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. He also announced plans to visit Poland to participate in the International March of the Living, an event that honors Holocaust survivors.
School Principal Craig Hutcheson shared that the school is working on a schedule to allow the public to visit the center, as well as providing access for researchers to utilize its vast resources. The center’s opening marks a significant milestone in both local and national efforts to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and other genocides while fostering education about these important historical events.
