Students learn lessons of courage from Holocaust survivor

On October 26, the 8th grade visited the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County as part of a history unit that connects the past to current events. This small, but powerful, museum is located in Glen Cove. “The docents are all volunteers who are passionate about teaching future generations the horrors that can occur when people do not stand up for others,” shared 8th Grade History teacher Dave Frazer. 

The off-campus trip provides a culminating day to a mini-unit about the Holocaust that was also paired this year with the school-wide theme of courage, as students considered the impact of courageous decisions through the lens of an upstander. “This year, the HMTC offered us a workshop and challenge – perform “One Act of Courage” over the next 30 days and then journal about whether this was hard or easy and how it made us feel,” explained Mr. Frazer. “The HTMC believes that by practicing small acts of kindness and courage it will make it easier to act when a situation calls for a larger act,” added Mr. Frazer. 

Following a tour of the museum and its compelling exhibits, students were afforded the rare opportunity and privilege of listening in person to the testimony given by 91-year-old Mrs. Rosalie Simon. A survivor of Auschwitz, Mrs. Simon shared the poignant and painful memories of her time in the concentration camp. “Her story was one of loss and sadness, and yet hope in surviving with her sisters,” commented Mr. Frazer. “The students were touched by how Mrs. Simon and her sisters were able to stick together and also helped along the way by people who showed courage in the face of death to help them.” 

Mr. Frazer added, “I am very proud of the students, and how they showed respect to the witness and her testimony. They asked important questions about Mrs. Simon’s time in Auschwitz, and her life after she was liberated. It was not lost on our kids that they will be the last generation to hear eyewitness accounts of life during the Holocaust. And they understood the call to be witnesses of Mrs. Simon’s testimony and will take up the challenge to lead a more peaceful world.”