In recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Jewish Affinity Group shared an informative yet heartbreaking presentation on the Holocaust on January 23. This annual assembly serves as a necessary reminder of the atrocities of the Holocaust and its lasting impacts. Ensuring that this history is never forgotten is of the utmost importance, as hatred and discrimination persist in society today. The assembly incorporated both historical facts and touching personal stories, including some from Fieldston students.
The presentation began with an unexpected but powerful moment of silence. The entire student body paused for one minute to honor the memory of the victims who were persecuted and murdered by Nazi Germany. “If we were to take a minute for each one of those victims,” the group explained, “we would have to be silent for 11 years.” The stillness that filled the auditorium was worth a thousand words. It offered the students and speakers a deliberate moment to think and reflect on the magnitude of the tragedy.
Following this, the group shared a brief history of the Holocaust, noting important times, dates and people. They spoke about Adolf Hitler’s rise to power and the escalation of the atrocities that followed. These facts served as a necessary foundation for education on the Holocaust that many students lack. Understanding the political and social environment in which these events took place is important to understanding how and why they happen and, most importantly, how they can be avoided in the future.
The group ended this portion of the presentation by sharing several statistics that speak to the immensity of the Holocaust: six million Jews (two-thirds of the Jewish population) were killed by Nazis. The Nazis established an estimated 44,000 concentration camps during World War II.
While the numbers on their own are horrific, students then shared personal stories that showed the true gravity of the tragedy. They profiled survivors of the Holocaust and accounts of their visits to the concentration camps. “Although facts are important to an education of the Holocaust, specific stories make it seem more real,” said Ella Odinec (Form V), a leader of the Jewish Affinity Group.
The stories, like the one told by twins Ava and Kayla Resnick (Form III), were extremely heartfelt and personal. The Resnicks spoke about how their great-grandmother was tragically forced to separate from her family and hide in a barn from the Nazis. Miraculously, a soldier threw a jacket over her, and she escaped capture and persecution.
“If not for that jacket,” Kayla Resnick said, “Ava and I would not be standing before you today.”
Her words echoed through the auditorium and embodied what the presentation so powerfully accomplished: educating with a purpose.
More moving stories followed, from students who talked about trips they took to Holocaust museums and memorials. They described in detail the different places where the atrocities took place and the feelings they had reliving the horror. Finally, the presenters shared books, movies and resources for students to access to further their knowledge.
Ultimately, the assembly proved to be an educational and emotionally powerful break in the day for the Fieldston community.
