The dTHS Civil Rights Journey to the South

From the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the powerful EJI Legacy Museum to the iconic Edmund Pettus Bridge, our students have now experienced a once-in-a-lifetime, firsthand exploration of the history and legacy of the civil rights movement, as well as the struggle for equality in America through a specifically Jewish lens.

One of the most heartfelt student reflections was shared with us by Ella S. (’25), who spoke movingly of the experience de Toledo students had meeting for the first time their peers from Booker T. Washington High School (Montgomery, AL) whom they had previously gotten to know through virtual meet-ups online.

“We sang and danced and spoke in groups about our lives, morals, and values,” recounted Ella. “And despite our differences in race and religion, we were able to connect, laugh, and engage in deep, meaningful conversations. Then, to close, we came together in song, all as one, proving that at the end of the day we are all created B’Tselem Elohim [in God’s image].”

These are lifelong lessons and memories we are so proud to instill in our dTHS students – not just on these types of experiential grade-level class trips – but throughout the four years of the indelible de Toledo journey.