Holocaust Survivor visits DLS Basildon

Students and staff at De La Salle Basildon marked Holocaust Memorial Day with a visit from a Holocaust Survivor. This visit was enabled by the Holocaust Education Trust and all at the school are grateful for the opportunity. One of the Year 9 pupils wrote the following account of the visit.

 Recently, year nine had a zoom meeting with a Holocaust survivor. He told us about the terrible things he was put through before he moved to England.

He lived in Hungary when Holocaust happened, when they came to get him he hid in a cupboard. We learnt about the changes of politics in Hungary during, and after, the war, for example the Soviet invasion of Hungary after the war, after which he fled to England. 

 This session was very good as we also got to ask questions. Many people asked questions about how he felt in the different situations, like when he was hiding in a cupboard. Others asked about if he still has contacts, like school friends, that he still talks to today. Some others asked about what happened to his family, like his mother who survived a concentration camp.

 Seeing a Holocaust survivor in, even on zoom as it was, really helped to deepen our sympathy and understanding of the Holocaust. Hearing the accounts first hand was a great experience and we are thankful that we had the opportunity.