The Mountain States Regional Office of the Anti-Defamation League and the Center for International Studies at Denver’s West High School have formed a partnership to sponsor “The International Book Sharing Project,” an online educational program that will study the Holocaust.

The program links a class of West High School students with a class of Israeli high school students. Both classes are reading Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel’s autobiographical book Night, a searing account of the Holocaust as experienced by a 15-year-old boy.

After reading Night, both classes will use the Internet to create a virtual classroom through which the students will not only discuss their thoughts, opinions and concerns arising from the book, but also how its message is relevant to their lives today. Supplemental materials provided to the teachers by the Ghetto Fighters House Museum will help encourage this online dialogue.

The program will conclude with a final project by the students that may take the form of a joint journal, a multi-media presentation, or an art project. Previous classes participating in the project have met in their respective home countries.

“This program is an excellent way to use today’s technology to create meaningful relationships between Denver students and Israeli students, and it is also an incredible way to have them understand what can happen when hatred and bigotry are left unchallenged,” said Nina Sundell, Youth Programs Coordinator of the ADL. “It is also our hope that West High School will be the first of many schools in Colorado that will participate in the project.”

“We are delighted to partner with the Anti-Defamation League to bring this exciting program to Denver,” said Dr. Dan Lutz, the Director of West High School’s highly acclaimed Center for International Studies. “The project fits perfectly with West High School’s goal to develop globally minded, culturally aware citizens who are capable of understanding and meeting the current and future challenges of our changing world.”

This year’s International Book Sharing Project is made possible by the generous support of Robert Loup, Howard Greinetz, Martin Trotsky, Peter Kudla and Gary Levine.

West High School is located at 951 Elati St. The school telephone number is 303-620-5300.