On Nov. 28, Elizabeth “Betty” Baumgartner will be acknowledged as one of the 2023 Unsung Heroes by the St. Louis Jewish Light. Her noteworthy contributions leading to this recognition, have caught the attention of her employer, the Collinsville CUSD 10 Board of Education. In their regular monthly meeting for November 2023, the board took a moment to honor Baumgartner, a dedicated teacher at Dorris Intermediate School.
At the school board meeting, Baumgartner was introduced and congratulated by DIS Principal Kevin Stirnaman. She received a certificate signed by Board of Education President Gary Peccola and Superintendent Dr. Mark B. Skertich.
“In her instruction on World War II, Ms. Baumgartner had a student who was expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler and making antisemitic remarks,” Stirnaman said at the meeting. “Ms. Baumgartner, instead of handling this as a purely disciplinary issue, decided to make it a teachable moment. She educated the students about this terrible time in history and then organized a field trip to the [St. Louis Kaplan Feldman] Holocaust Museum, which proved to be a powerful and emotional experience for her students and families. Her dedication to her students ended up turning a negative situation into a positive one.”
Unsung Heroes
Unsung Heroes, which began in 2010, shines a light on individuals of any background or faith who generously volunteer or go above and beyond to help the St. Louis Jewish community, and Jewish St. Louisans who volunteer, either within the local Jewish community and/or the community at large. This year, two of the 11 Unsung Heroes are not Jewish; both are teachers, one in Jefferson County, the other, Betty Baumgartner, in Collinsville, and both are going above and beyond in their efforts to stop antisemitism in their classrooms and in their communities.
Purchase tickets to the 2023 Unsung Heroes event
When: Tuesday, Nov. 28. Door open at 6:30, program begins at 7 p.m.
Where: Missouri History Museum
How much: Tickets are $36 and can be purchased online.
