26 | JULY 1 • 2021 

P

roduction on Keith 
Famie’s Shoah 
Ambassadors Holocaust 
documentary film continued 
on June 23, as high school 
students, guests and the two 
young Shoah Ambassadors 
themselves took part in a virtu-
al Yad Vashem experience.
At the Emagine Theatre 
in Novi, ambassadors Hailey 
Callahan, 23, and Curtis Bates, 
20, sat in the theater with a 
camera crew filming their 
experience while designated 
hosts at Yad Vashem, the World 
Holocaust Rememberance 
Center in Jerusalem, virtual-
ly walked them through the 
museum and the events of 
the Holocaust. A portion of 

the event will be featured in 
Famie’s film.
Along with the ambassadors 
viewing the presentation, 32 
students from two nearby high 
schools, Novi High and Walled 
Lake Northern, were able to sit 
in the theater and experience 
the tour as well. The documen-
tary film is focused on educat-
ing the youth on the horrors 
and atrocities of the Holocaust.
The students were able to 
interact with Yad Vashem and 
ask the tour guides questions 
during the presentation. When 
the tour was over, the students 
took part in a Q&A with 
Callahan and Bates to learn 
more about their experience 
with the film. 

Also at the end, Ruth 
Daniels, managing partner of 
the Maple Theater, spoke to the 
students about her father who 
was a Holocaust survivor, and 
was able to stand as a personal 
testimony for the students to 
ask questions about his expe-
rience.
Film director Famie believes 
that while COVID created 
havoc in everyone’s lives, there 
are silver linings to the pan-
demic.
“It taught us about Zoom 
and how to use it,” he said. 
“Utilizing Zoom to create 
this dialogue and narrative, 
and at the same time having 
high-quality production cam-
eras on both sides, we were 

able to introduce Yad Vashem 
in the film and, of course, hav-
ing Hailey and Curtis there as 
ambassadors and the students 
as well was icing on the cake.” 

STUDENTS’ REACTIONS
The students were listening to 
the subject matter closely and 
asking insightful questions. 
There seemed to be a consen-
sus at the event that the film’s 
approach, telling the story of 
the Holocaust through youth 
and the ambassadors’ artistic 
talents, is one that may indeed 

Teaching the Shoah

High schoolers take virtual tour of Yad Vashem.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Ruth Daniels, the daughter of a 
Holocaust survivor, addresses 
the students along with Shoah 
Ambassadors Hailey Callahan, 23, 
and Curtis Bates, 20.

At the theater were 32 
students and film director 
Keith Famie (last on right).

PHOTOS COURTESY KEITH FAMIE

PHOTOS COURTESY KEITH FAMIE

OUR COMMUNITY