Leon's poppa survived seven German labor camps.
He shares this fairytale with young schoolchildren to teach against the "evils of racism, anti-semitism, prejudice and discrimination."
BOYS’ MODEL MARK HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY 2009
Belfast Boys’ Model pupils have been given an insight into the horror of the Holocaust from Queen’s University Professor, Leon Litvack whose parents survived the atrocity, which claimed the lives of an estimated eleven million people.
In a presentation delivered to mark “Holocaust Remembrance Day” (Tuesday 21st April), Professor Litvack gave a harrowing account of the experiences of his parents, both of whom were placed in concentration camps. He described how his mother, Pola, who was contained at Auschwitz, was sentenced to the gas chambers twice and managed to escape out of a window on both occasions. His father, Sam, also endured the terror of Hitler’s reign and was subjected to seven different labour camps, including Plaszow (made famous by the film Schindler’s List).
As well as giving a detailed description of the torment inflicted on Jewish people in Germany under Nazi rule, Professor Litvack also explained the muted life led by those who survived the Holocaust. He explained to pupils the psychological trauma that plagued his parents and how the Holocaust was an ever-present reality for him growing up, with pain and loss now central components of his identity.
Commenting on Professor Litvack’s presentation, Belfast Boys’ Model Head of History, Ms Mary Currie said, “I am very grateful to Professor Litvack for giving our pupils a real understanding of the evils of prejudice and discrimination, as was experienced by his parents and the estimated millions of Jews, who lost their lives during the Holocaust. Nazi ideology was founded on racism and anti-semitism and Professor Litvack’s presentation will go a long way to ensuring that our pupils leave the school with a respect for other faiths and the realisation that the human and civil rights of all people in our society should be protected”.
Professor Leon Litvack also said of his visit to the school, “Belfast Boys’ Model has given me the opportunity to use my family’s experience as a source of light to transmit the Jewish faith and culture, of which the legacy of the Holocaust plays an important part.. I hope that my visit to the school will allow pupils to admire survivors, who set an unrivalled example of dignity and fortitude and to use the Holocaust to measure how far we have come in treating our fellow human beings with dignity and respect“.
Holocaust Remembrance Day will be held on Tuesday 21st April and aims to commemorate Holocaust victims, honour survivors and commit to tackling prejudice, discrimination and racism in the present day.
Posted by Webmaster on May 7, 2009 6:03 PM
Source: http://www.bbms.org.uk/news/2009/05/boys_model_mark_holocaust_reme.php
Article: "BOYS’ MODEL MARK HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY 2009"
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