People of Jewish faith and culture always fascinated Lydia Bazikian as a child growing up in Weehawken.
“The Jewish life, culture, Judaism in general,” said Bazikian, the valedictorian of the Weehawken High School Class of 2000 and currently a senior at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. “Even though I am a Christian [with an Evangelical Christian background], I was fascinated by Orthodox Jews. I learned a respect for the Jewish life. I think it started after I read a storybook as a child about Jewish life. Then I really became interested.”
When Bazikian began to attend classes at Rutgers, she enrolled in some Jewish studies courses.
“Rutgers has a big Jewish Studies Department,” Bazikian said. “When I knew that Rutgers offered the courses, it was something I was really interested in taking. I almost pursued it as a major in college for a while. Besides, everyone always told me that I looked Jewish. When they see me, they think I’m Jewish, but I’m not. So it was almost predestined that I should take the classes.” Bazikian’s family is of Armenian descent.
While Bazikian will receive a degree in American studies with a minor in Jewish studies when she graduates in May, the fascination always remained.
So when a friend told Bazikian about an internship at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust located in New York – Bazikian thought it would be a perfect avenue to pursue.
“I love museums, and always dreamed that I could work at a museum,” Bazikian said. “Ever since I was a little kid, museums have been one of my favorite places to go. I figured that I could have more direction if I pursued working in a museum. It would give me the chance to explore. I decided to apply for the internship, but I didn’t think I’d get it.”
Bazikian was selected among a group of 15 other college and graduate students to serve as a Lipper Intern at the museum.
In August, Bazikian spent two weeks working closely with the museum’s educators learning more about Jewish life and culture. After participating in the training, the interns are then asked to teach 20th century Jewish history to junior high and high school students in the metropolitan area.
“There’s actually a three-point program to the internship,” Bazikian explained. “First, we trained over the summer to learn about what we’re going to be teaching to the students. Then, we go into the schools and give a presentation, with a slide show, to teach them about different aspects of Jewish life, to talk about the museum and the Holocaust. Finally, we bring the students we taught back to the museum and talk about the things that they learned.”
Obviously, teaching teenagers about the horrors of the Holocaust is not an easy subject.
“It is very emotional and cannot be treated lightly,” Bazikian said. “But the museum focuses on a lot more than just the Holocaust. Sure, there are graphic pictures. The story can’t be told without showing what really happened. But there are portions of the museum that are dedicated before the Jews went to the concentration camps. We talk about life during the Holocaust and then life after as well.”
Bazikian said that during her training, she was introduced to three Holocaust survivors.
“I never met one before,” Bazikian said. “I got to see the tattoos on their hands. It was an extremely moving moment. Some of it was difficult to sit through, but it gave me a better appreciation of what they endured. They would cry as they told their story, and so would I.”
Armenian genocide
Bazikian said that she could empathize with the Jewish plight because many of her ancestors were destroyed as part of the Armenian genocide before World War II.
“In fact, I learned that Hitler was convinced nothing could happen to him from the Holocaust because nothing was done about the Armenian genocide,” Bazikian said.
While she is still attending classes full-time at Rutgers, Bazikian will visit one school per week to give the presentation. She was set to give her first presentation to the Roosevelt Island Middle School in New York on Friday.
“I’m excited about it,” Bazikian said. “I’m getting assigned to schools all over the area. I put Weehawken down as one of the schools that I’d like to visit, but I haven’t heard anything about it yet. It’s not up to me.”
Bazikian said that the experience has been uplifting.
“When I first heard about the museum, I figured it was just about the Holocaust,” Bazikian said. “But it’s dedicated to Jewish life as a whole, including the Holocaust, but about culture and lifestyles. It’s always important to learn about different cultures. It’s so special and gives you a better context of how others live. The museum has so many artifacts about Jewish life. It really is an important perspective.”
The Museum of Jewish Heritage is located on the waterfront in Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. The museum’s core exhibition is organized around three themes: Jewish Life a Century Ago, The War Against the Jews, and Jewish Renewal. With more than 2,000 photographs, 800 artifacts and 24 original documentary films on display, the museum also uses personal stories and artifacts to present the history to people of all ages and backgrounds.
“The Holocaust is a subject that comes up a lot, maybe too much in some people’s minds,” Bazikian said. “Some people don’t believe that it even happened. But a program like this gives a different perspective on the whole event and everyone it affected. There are certain issues like Zionism and socialism that come into play. We have to find a better solution to racism in other countries.”
Bazikian said that she has enjoyed her experience as an intern. “It’s been a growing experience,” said Bazikian.
Bazikian is still unsure of her career choice but has just recently joined the staff of the Daily Targum, the Rutgers student newspaper, to possibly pursue a career in journalism. “Like everything else in life,” she said, “it helps you grow. I’ve learned a lot. It’s been a good experience for me.”
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