by George J Elbaum

The audience for this presentation consisted of 33 students from (several) high schools in the San Francisco area.  I was particularly pleased after giving my usual presentation when several students approached me, such as two boys from the Bay School, to tell me that they appreciated this talk as much now as when I spoke at their school a year or two ago.

As at many previous talks I was again asked why did I name my book Neither Yesterdays Nor Tomorrows, and I explained that it reflects my attitude which helped me survive relatively unscathed emotionally the more difficult situations of my Holocaust childhood: forgetting the painful yesterdays and ignoring the uncertainty of tomorrows, and focusing all my attention on solving today’s problem.  This attitude carried me through my Holocaust childhood and it works for me equally in my adulthood.  I then suggested to the students two take-aways: to focus as much as possible on the situation they are facing at the moment, and to always follow the “golden rule”, treating others as they themselves would want to be treated.  

The session was arranged by Lindsay Marcus, Education Program Coordinator, JFCS Holocaust Center.