Holocaust Survivor Speaks to 7th and 8th Grades

By Eighth Graders Emily A and  Zoe T

In Advisory, the seventh and eighth grade students have discussed the differences between what it means to be a persecutor, victim, bystander and rescuer. To help us better understand how these four roles can affect our lives, we were inspired by the profound words of Holocaust survivor, Erica Herz Van Adelsberg. On Friday, January 20, we gathered in the science classroom to listen to Erica’s courageous and heartfelt story.

Erica talked about what her life was like before, during and after World War II. She described life in the concentration camps and how she managed to stay strong during the three years she was there. She shared with us many pictures, a poem she had written, a piece of writing by her younger brother describing a child’s life in Bergen-Belson, and a very important message: appreciate your friends and family because you never know if you might lose them.

Something else we learned from Erica is how important it is to hear these stories from the perspective of a person who actually went through them. Erica explained that soon all of the Holocaust survivors would no longer be here to share their stories, so it is up to us to pass along the message of what happened in the Holocaust. This is vital so that history will not repeat itself.

It was an honor to hear the passionate words of an actual Holocaust survivor.