In Flight, The Story of Sabine Van Dam by Gulfshore Players

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 300

In Flight is a live theatrical production based on events from the life of local Holocaust survivor, Sabine Van Dam.  

In Flight was the culminating lesson to our eighth grade Holocaust Unit.  Students read Anne Frank's Legacy  in their

language arts class. They, also, visited the Holocaust Museum to learn more about that time period.  However, In Flight, affected the students in a powerful way. For them, The Holocaust was no longer events from a book or artifacts seen in a museum; the infamous atrosities became personal.   They now knew the struggle and sorrow of families like the Van Dam's.  

There were over 300 13 and 14 year-old children in the auditorium, and there was not a sound coming from any of them.   It was incredible to see all eyes and ears focused on the performance.  After the performance, the actors held a 'Talk Back' with a group of approximately 50 students.  This was an opportunity for students to meet the performers.  There were many questions, a few tears and some talked about it for days.  Students grew sensitive to the impact the Holocaust had on families and recognized the brutality of the Nazis.  They gained a new perspective on the history surrounding The Holocaust.