Far too few middle and high school students know that 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis during World War II. Now, through a prestigious museum internship in New York City, Providence College's Erin M. Rice '06 will help teach Rhode Island grade school students about 20th-century Jewish history and the Holocaust.

A studio art major, Rice is the recipient of a Lipper Internship at the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. She is one of 16 interns this semester. Rice received 11 days of intensive training at the museum in Lower Manhattan in early January along with a fellow intern from Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I.

During the course of the semester, the two will visit three or four Rhode Island middle or high schools to teach students about the Holocaust and the museum. The interns will then serve as the students' tour guides for a visit to the museum and then discuss with them what they have learned.

"During training, I was fortunate enough to meet and hear the amazing stories of three
Holocaust survivors," said Rice, who lives in Westford, Mass. "Professionally, the internship has already helped me realize that I would like to pursue a career in upper-level museum work and eventually teaching."

Rice credits Dr. Deborah J. Johnson, professor of art history, with both informing her about the internship and writing a letter of recommendation for her.

"She has a deep understanding of the circumstances (surrounding the Holocaust) and this makes her a very convincing interpreter of this material," said Johnson, adding that Rice's well-developed sense of justice will serve her well during her internship.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage educates people of all ages and backgrounds about Jewish life over the past century—before, during, and after the Holocaust.

"The museum, which sits only blocks from the World Trade Center site, is a constant reminder of the destructive power of hatred, yet it also stands as a beacon of hope, survival, and community," said Rice. "You need not be Jewish to relate to and be moved by this collection, but only human."

The Lipper Internship Program is funded through a grant from the Gruss Lipper Foundation.