Carol Faber checks out the high school’s Holocaust Center. Principal Angela Davis’ back is to the camera. James Roberson

Tuesday night, the 71st anniversary of Kristallnacht, was a “back to school” night of sorts. Teaneck residents, high school faculty members, students, and alumni gathered at Teaneck High School for the rededication of New Jersey’s first Holocaust Center, established in 1975 by history teacher and Holocaust education pioneer Ed Reynolds. Reynolds, who marveled at the fact that he hadn’t walked “these halls” for 17 years, was the keynote speaker on Tuesday. Addressing some 60 people, he described the long educational journey that began with a telephone call, in 1975, from the Anti-Defamation League in New York.

read more here.

(The work these teachers did led to the creation of the first government Holocaust Education Commission in the United States, established by Gov. Thomas Kean. The author of this article was a member of that commission. Ed Reynolds’ inspiration, also fired up the first Second Generation group in the State of New Jersey, founded 30 years ago, this month, by the author of this article.)