Neither Yesterdays Nor Tomorrows

Wilson Middle School in Natick, MA, is a highly rated public school with 940 students in grades 5-8 and a student-teacher ratio of 11 to 1.  Its strong academics are shown by its test scores vs. state averages:  English 66% vs 51% state avg; Math 68% vs 48% state avg; Science 64% vs 47% state avg.  These test scores have earned it a Great Schools academic rating of 9/10, an impressive achievement.

Each year, Grade 7 students participate in a 10-week unit of study on the Holocaust and Human Behavior, including a presentation by a Holocaust survivor.  My presentation was organized by Shivonne St.George, Social Studies Teacher and Head of the district’s middle school Social Studies Department, with the assistance of her Grade 7 social studies colleagues, Cassie Lawton and Rick Dumont and my participation was arranged by Jeff Smith, Resource Speaker Coordinator, Facing History and Ourselves. 

At my school presentations I always look forward to the Q & A as it is for me the most stimulating part, and at this session I was very impressed with the quality of the students’ questions.  The knowledge and thoughtfulness shown by the students’ questions was truly unusual, especially for middle school students, and it reflects on the quality of their education, i.e. their teachers.  I feel strongly that good, dedicated teachers make good, dedicated, well-informed citizens, and when I encounter the quality of student questions as at this school, I feel hopeful about America’s future.

Post-talk class discussion & questionnaire

From the thousands of student notes & letters I’ve received after my talks it’s clear that the key to students’ understanding and take-away is a thoughtful teacher-led class discussion with a follow-up questionnaire.  The prime example of this is the 5-point questionnaire (below) that teacher Shivonne St. George distributed to her students and which resulted in the above action (sugar cookies) & photo.

1. What did you think of Mr. Elbaum/s story?
2. How did it make you feel?
3. What do you understand about the Holocaust after listening to his story?
4. If you had the chance to meet Mr. Elbaum in person, what would you say to him?
5. Below is a list of quotes from Mr. Elbaum’s testimony.  Which one speaks to you most and why? (Five quotes from my talks were listed on the questionnaire.)

Replies to #5 were as varied as the quotes, and all were thoughtful, but one student’s reply resulted in prompt action, and it was actually to a different quote from the 5 listed. 

“The quote that stood out to me was ‘That sugar was the best taste of my entire life.’  This struck me because it made me think about being grateful for what we have.  The fact that a small cube of sugar meant so much to Mr. Elbaum made me a) feel so grateful for the fact that I can go to my pantry and let a cube of sugar dissolve on my tongue, and b) bake a bunch of sugar cookies and mail them to Mr. Elbaum.  It also makes me think about the simple things in life.  Making chai with my dad, tasting a fresh-baked cookie.  The testimony solidified my belief that it’s the small things, small acts of love and kindness that make life worth living.” Thus, the class baked sugar cookies!

Aside from replies to the questionnaire (above), I also received Thank You letters from many students which were exceptionally thoughtful and mature, especially for 7^th graders, and one in particular still stands out for me.

“Ever since your testimony I have been thinking about one thing in particular that you said: ‘There are no fine people on the side of hate’.”  I love this philosophy and from now on will use it to guide my actions.  You really influenced how I think about issues surrounding me politically, but also morally.  I was also inspired by how you use your story to educate the youth of society for the future of our country, and the future of the world.  I will always look up to you as someone who made a difference and will have made the world a better place.” 

by George J Elbaum

The Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE) of Omaha, NE, was established in 2001 with the mission to provide educational resources, workshops, survivor testimony, and integrated arts programming to middle and high school students. IHE’s annual Week of Understanding is in its 12^th year and brings testimony of Holocaust survivors to over 7,000 students in Nebraska and Iowa each year. This year there are 8 speakers and 12 schools participating.  The 2 schools to whose students I spoke are Seward Middle School on March 22 and Fremont Middle School on March 24.

Fremont Middle School is located in Fremont, NE, a 30-minute drive northwest of Omaha.  While many schools simply separate students by age with the same programming in place, Fremont Middle School recognizes and celebrates the middle level with specialized programming designed specifically for the pre-teen student. This programming allows students to grow and learn in a “small school” environment. Students and teachers are divided into teams of approximately 100 students. The primary goal of each team is to provide 21st Century, real-world instruction through the lens of a small community. Teams focus on interdisciplinary core instruction in a common space with a common set of instructors.  

This is the 3rd year Fremont has participated in the Week of Understanding, facilitated by using Zoom.   My presentation to 110 8^th grade students was organized by teacher Sara Bigsby, and my participation in Week of Understanding was arranged by Scott Littky, IHE’s Executive Director, and Kael Sagheer, IHE’s Education Coordinator.

by George J Elbaum

Educators for Change (EFC) is a group of dedicated educators who have committed to taking an active role in Holocaust education in Washington state and inform the educational programs and resources of the Holocaust Center for Humanity.  Teachers are selected by the Holocaust Center based on their engagement, qualifications, geographical location, and commitment to Holocaust education.  The Holocaust Center strives to provide EFC with deepened knowledge, not only about the Holocaust but other considerations, such as the challenges of teaching its lessons successfully, as well as a community for collaborative purposes.  At the same time EFC provides the Center with invaluable feedback and input that helps guide its decisions about its programs and resources.

EFC’s membership is approximately 40 educators in total, ranging from upper elementary to college educators, and its sessions typically have 30-35 attendees, which is quite remarkable currently given teacher burnout this year due to Covid.  My presentation to EFC was organized by Paul V. Regelbrugge, the Holocaust Center’s Director of Education, at the invitation by Ilana Cone Kennedy, its Chief Operating Officer.

One very pleasant “re-connection” for me was with Rosemary Conroy of St. Luke School in Shoreline, WA, where I spoke November 11, 2011, barely one year after my very first talk.  To my great surprise, Rosemary and her class presented me with a child’s red tricycle, which I describe in my book as my present for my 3^rd birthday in Warsaw in 1941, which is my very, very first memory!

by George J Elbaum

College Park High School has a current enrollment of 2036 students of which 56% are minority and 26% are economically disadvantaged.  Despite these demographics, it is far above California state average of college and career readiness, such as student test scores (English 74% vs. 51% CA average and Math 48% vs. 40% CA average) and 97% graduation rate.  It is therefore rated 9/10 in college readiness and test scores by GreatSchools.org.

This presentation to College Park 10^th-12^th grade students was again organized by World History teacher Lauren Weaver, as she had done the previous 3 years (2019-20-21).  Her students have studied WWII and the Holocaust, and were therefore aware of governmental persecution in Germany in the 1930s, including targeted boycotts, the Nuremberg Laws, planned stages of identification and separation in Ghettos, acts of violence such as Kiristallnacht, and eventual removal of Jews to concentration and death camps.   My presentation once again was via Zoom because of continuing Covid-19 restrictions, so my main contact with the students was via their on-line questions but unfortunately no face-to-face feedback.  I very much miss that feedback and look forward to visiting College Park and Lauren Weaver’s class in person next year.

Arrangements for my talk at College Park were made again by Penny Savryn, Education & Marketing Manager, and Veronica Siegel, Administrative Program Coordinator, JFCS Holocaust Center.

by George J Elbaum

Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek, CA, is a 9-12 grades public high school with total enrollment of 1601 students, of which 37% are considered minority and 12% economically disadvantaged.  Las Lomas is ranked 175th within California by US News Best High Schools. 

My presentation to 300 9^th grade students was organized by Lynn Schwab, 9^th grade World History & Geography teacher. Prior to my visit the students would have prepared by a compact study of the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, Kristallnacht, Nazi concentration camps and death camps, and the ghettos. Some of the students have read Maus.

My participation was arranged by Penny Savryn, Education & Marketing Manager, and Veronica Siegel, Administrative Program Coordinator, JFCS Holocaust Center.

Student Letters

Several weeks after my visit to Las Lomas I received a large flat envelope from JFCS Holocaust Center which, I assumed, contained student letters from one of the talks they arranged for me.  A very quick check confirmed my guess, and as it was a very busy time due to many talks I gave the week of Holocaust Remembrance Day (April 28) and its spill-over, I put it on a stack of several similar so-do envelopes for a few more weeks.  Two days ago I finally had time to act on it and was surprised by a small envelope and note from Las Lomas teacher Lynn Schwab which I hadn’t noticed in my previous month’s inspection.  Inspired by the note, I immediately read a couple letters at the top of the stack, and that weekend (Memorial Day) my wife Mimi and I read the rest them, with Mimi reading each one aloud while I listened and absorbed, and we excerpted those phrases/sentences that resonated with us. 

We were quite impressed by the large percentage of letters that contained thought-provoking excerpts, most probably a result of an in-depth discussion that teacher Schwab held with her students about my presentation.  The students were obviously engaged – a sure sign of students responding to a very good teacher!  Our excerpts are below.

• When you said that one of the most important lessons is focusing on what we can do today, who can we help today, that really stuck with me.  If we focus on one good deed at a time and put our soul and heart into it, like you have done with your book and talks, one day we can look back and realize all the good we spread in the world.
• I want to be like the families you stayed with during the Holocaust and help others whenever I can.  I’m going to stand up against the unjust prejudices that I see.  Your story has taught me so much, leaving me with a forever impact, and for that I thank you.
• Thank you, George, for helping me become more aware of the world around me.
• I can’t imagine the fear that you and your mother had about you being caught and sent away.  I learned not only about the Holocaust but also how it affected people.
•   The part of your story that made me feel very emotional was when you said that the best day of your life was when you saw your mother again after 6 months absence.
• I can’t put into the right words how inspiring and rememberable the experience was to listen to your story.
• It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that after both horrifying and traumatizing events, survivors had to go back to living their lives like normal.
• I feel privileged for many things but one being that I got to hear your story.
• I appreciate how you told your story to teenagers who weren’t wise enough to listen before or didn’t have someone to listen to
• It really stuck with me that you had to be someone else to live.
• The most important takeaway from your talk was that we need to stand up for people in life.  If we do not stand up for people, we become just as bad as the people contributing to prejudice as we become bystanders.
• Your story proves to me that if I am willing to put in the work, I will be able to reach and possibly exceed my own expectations.
• You not only taught me more about the Holocaust but also how to be a better person.
• You painted this picture of your mother and what she was able to do for you and for herself in a truly wonderful way.
• I wonder if the statement, everything happens for a reason, applies here: what if everything that happened in your life, all the luck, was leading up to you sharing your story and giving others information on your experience with terror and evil.  That makes it seem like everything happens for a reason.
• Hearing about it from someone like you really makes us realize how real the holocaust was and how all the horrific things were true.
• Sometimes we need to hear others’ experiences in order to grow/mature and understand all of the hatred and prejudice that STILL goes on in the world today.
• My parents and I immigrated to America when I was 3 years old.  A few years later a civil  started in our country.  Most of my family has immigrated to America but the ones that still live there in a war zone live in horrible conditions.  Listening to your story gave me hope that they will, one day, gain a better life.  Really I thank you for giving me hope.
• I told my mom all about your story.  She was just as fascinated as I was.  I mean that honestly.  I don’t think my mom has ever been more concentrated on what I’ve said.
• You’ve inspired me to never stand down when I see someone being bullied, which I have done before. 
• From your talk I learned how important it is to recognize when someone is being persecuted and stand up to it.
• As you  said during your talk, when someone says something that is racist, anti-Semitic, etc, a way to combat this is simply asking them to repeat what they said.  I think that this was good advice, as the person will most likely realize what they are saying and will stop.
• After learning and reading about the Holocaust in class, hearing about the childhood of an actual survivor is very humbling.
• After hearing your stories, I understand how important it is to ensure everyone is accepted in society.  Genocides come from discrimination or marginalization.
• Thank you so much for sharing your story and thank you for inspiring me to do the right thing.
• Something that really resonated with me was the effect one human can have on another, which is why it is so important to treat each and every person the way you would want to be treated.
• Something I can do to help is to make everyone feel included.  Our school is very focused on this.
• Thank you for telling me just what I needed to hear, even if you didn’t realize it.  Focusing on the present is much more important than dwelling on the past or worrying for the future.
• The way you told your stories on how you survived makes me feel sadness, sadness for your loss, sadness for the people surrounding you in the same experience.  I can only show my support to you through this letter.  I’m sorry you had to go through something like that, but also thank you for sharing this experience, because this has changed me.

by George J Elbaum

The Institute for Holocaust Education (IHE) of Omaha, NE, was established in 2001 with the mission to provide educational resources, workshops, survivor testimony, and integrated arts programming to middle and high school students. IHE’s annual Week of Understanding is in its 12^th year and brings testimony of Holocaust survivors to over 7,000 students in Nebraska and Iowa each year. This year there are 8 speakers and 12 schools participating.  The 2 schools to whose students I spoke are Seward Middle School on March 22 and Fremont Middle School on March 24.

Seward Middle School in Seward, NE, serves just over 410 students in grades 5-8. The school utilizes the concept of grade level teaming and exploratory classes to offer a diverse curriculum, including instructional programs in art, computer education, language arts, sciences, social studies, Spanish, health, family and consumer sciences, mathematics, vocal and instrumental music, physical education, agriculture education, special education, and high ability learner education.

The activities program for students include football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, and track.  Clubs and other student activity groups include cross country, builder’s club, bully response team, and several vocal and instrumental music groups.

My presentation to 111 8^th grade students was organized by teacher Audrey Ahrens, and Seaward’s participation in the Week of Understanding was arranged by Scott Littky, IHE’s Executive Director, and Kael Sagheer, Education Coordinator of Institute for Holocaust Studies.  Attending also were Seward teachers & staff.

by George J Elbaum

Arroyo High School in San Lorenzo, across the bay from San Francisco, has a high diversity student body of approximately 1,800 students. It is organized into several “schools within a school,” and this is the 11^th consecutive year that I have spoken to its 10^th grade students studying the Holocaust.  This year I spoke again via via Zoom, but it was to one class in the morning and a second class in the afternoon, both in their classrooms but wearing masks because of the still-ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.  Looking at my web posts of pre-pandemic visits to Arroyo, with dozens & dozens of photos of students and remembering the brief but memorable chats with students & teachers, I look forward to a real rather than virtual visit to Arroyo next year.

This year’s two virtual sessions were again organized by teacher Jess Vaughn, as she did last year and several of my previous visits.  Making this visit unintentionally memorable was the total silence of Zoom’s audio at the start of the afternoon session.  However, after a few minutes of frustration, Jess Vaughn cleverly (heroically!) saved the day with a cell phone and some connecting cables.  Whew!

Participating now were approximately 30 students in each 10th-grade English class, who recently finished reading Elie Wiesel’s Night and have been studying background information about Hitler’s rise to power, anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust in their History class.

The event was again arranged by Penny Savryn, Education & Marketing Manager, and assisted by Zahira Trejo, Pell University Fellow, Jewish Family and Children’s Services.

Letters from students

A week after March 10 and my two presentations at Arroyo I received an email from teacher Jess Vaughn with link to 44 letters from her students.  It took another week+ to find time to read all of these letters, but eventually my wife Mimi and I read them after dinners, highlighting statements or phrases that resonated with us.  I will now excerpt these and add them to the Arroyo post on my website https://neitheryesterdays.com/2022/03/15/arroyo-high-school-san-lorenzo-ca-march-10-2022-via-video/

I very much look forward to visiting Arroyo again next year in person rather than via Zoom

• Your words about not to let anyone discourage me if I truly love something resonated with me. I have been previously told by some friends that my interests were weird to them, and that made me slightly dislike the things I used to enjoy. Eventually I came to find their opinions did not matter, the only thing that mattered was that I was interested in what I loved.
• Your mom reminds me of mine because of all the things she went through so that you wouldn’t grow up in a terrible neighborhood. My mom would do anything in her power to get us out of that state.
• Your words touched something in me that changed the way I view life and inspired me to go to college to find a passion in something that I could make my career. Thank You George for sharing your story.
• I’m sure in the beginning it was very hard to share your experience since it was traumatic for you. You turned it into something positive by sharing, and I can assume that you are still healing.
• I can’t imagine your entire life, and the lives of your family, depending on something as flimsy as a piece of paper. The fake IDs and dyed hair makes this seem almost like it’s out of a spy movie; you and your mother both are incredible.
• To see someone else who didn’t really fit in but became successful makes me more hopeful for my future.
• You said “Be for things, not against things”. I think a lot of people define themselves by what they’re not, proof by contradiction.  However, I’ve heard the sentiment that people need things to live for, not die for, and your quote reminded me of that.
• To live in the present and to stand up for what you believe in is an important lesson in life, and I’m glad you taught us so.
• I hope that I can help preserve your legacy by having the courage to stand up to them.
• Your story impacted me because you inspired me to chase my dreams and do what I want career wise.
• I have already told some of my family and friends about your story and they were amazed by it.
• I am so grateful to have my family and their support in my life and I know you were glad you got to see your mom again.
• I was impressed that you felt embarrassed about your English accent when you were 13 years old. My experience is very similar to yours.  I also came to the United States from another country, and my spoken English is not very good.
• This aspect of your hard work that fascinates me.  The spirit of hard work is worth learning, and I will work hard to achieve my ideal goals.
• What strikes me is what you went through when you first came to America because now I’m going through it too. I’m an English learner too, and sometimes I’m embarrassed by my spoken language, it makes me not dare to communicate with people. But you didn’t give up despite this and got good grades.  I also will not give up, study English hard and communicate with people boldly.
• You said, ”Never let anyone discourage you.  If you really love something work hard and go get it.” This was really inspiring because I want to learn how to play soccer and they’re telling me that they don’t think I’m going to be dedicated but after hearing this I’m going to try hard and prove to them that I could learn how to play soccer.
• I am inspired by you following your dreams, by those families who put themselves in danger to save you, and what you said about prejudice fading in the light of day. I feel that it is our responsibility to keep these stories alive so that history doesn’t repeat itself.
• Your story has been very inspiring to me to keep going even during hard patches.
• I was really happy when my teacher said that we were going to talk to you because I wanted to know how it felt back then. What were you thinking about the most?  I was thinking about when I moved away I missed my family so much and I would only think about when am I going to go back to see them.
• The thing that stood out was when you showed how many Jews were killed in a month.  You explained that it was like everyone in San Francisco being killed every 8 months, it really showed how that seems almost impossible, but it did happen just to one group of people.
• I think it is very important to keep your story alive because it is very inspirational.
• Something that stuck out to me was about your coping mechanism. I was curious about it because I didn’t know if it was like falling asleep or if it was like your brain shutting off to not allow you to feel the pain of the impact.
• I think a lot of what you said was very inspiring and I feel like it could change a lot of people’s point of view on life.
• I am also an English Learner. Sometimes I also feel embarrassed by my accent and stutter.
• I can’t believe what kind of life you have experienced.  Inspirational and very sad at the same time.
•  I will tell my children in the future that I met a brave man who was alive while terrible things were happening in the world.
•  It really inspired me when you said, “Never let anyone discourage you. If you really love something, work hard and go get it.”  Thank you for that. I really need to believe in myself more.
• I just want to say thank you for being brave and inspiring us to stand up and speak up to injustice, to help others and follow our dreams of working hard and not listening to people who discourage us.
• It was unbelievable how you were so close to death but so far from peace.
•  Your story really impacted me greatly whether it was to appreciate my life more and be grateful for what I have.
•  This story made me want to go out and do some good for this world. For example, help my community by donating to families in need in my community and all around the world.
• Learning about your mom and all that she risked to keep you and herself safe was so inspiring.
•  “Be for things, not against things.” I really resonated with this.
•  I appreciated it so much for you to share your story that once was closed deep inside you for over 60 years.
•  I heard from the eastern world and now I hear from the perspective from you representing the western world.  Your story helps me balance the view of WWII that everyone goes through the same crisis due to the evil fascist empires.
• When you mentioned how you stayed in several Polish families’ care, it made me realize that there were people who opposed the Nazis and wanted to assist the Jews.
• I am going to keep your story alive by telling family and friends of your amazing story because of how much it impacted me and hopefully how much it will impact them.
• You saw the good things of life instead of the bad and because of that it is really inspiring. I just wanted to say thank you.
• After listening to your story, I took some time to think about how amazing it was to be able to hear about an experience like yours.  I think there is a huge responsibility for me in keeping your story and others like it alive because I believe that everyone should be aware of the Holocaust.
• Your story impacted me because it made me more appreciative of my parents and I really thought about all the sacrifices my parents made for me and my brothers.
• What struck me was how intelligent your mother was. She had the great idea of dyeing her hair to blend in and come up with Catholic identities. I love how she continued to stay strong for you and herself.
• You stated, “Never let anyone discourage you. If you really love something, work hard and go get it.” It encourages me to do the same and keep my grades up in school even if it gets challenging.
• You came from an amazing mother that escaped with a lot of luck and kept you safe from genocide.
• It stood out to me that you still were amazed by the plane. I took it as a spark in your future and instead of looking at it with fear, you looked at it in awe. Little did you know that in that very moment of seeing a Nazi plane it shaped your future and when you grow up it would forever be a part of you. That is what amazed me.
• You were an English learner and embarrassed because you didn’t know how to speak English very well. I had the same experience moving to America when I was 10 years old. I was scared to attend school and was afraid I was gonna get bullied for my culture and my height.  I got bullied for my race/culture and how I say different words.  The more I grew older, I realized not to think too much about what the haters think of me.
• A quote that I kept thinking about since the day you talked to us was, ‘’Never let anyone discourage you. If you really love something, work hard and go for it.”
• Again, THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO JOIN US!!!!! WE CAN”T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR THAT.

by George J Elbaum

Escuela Popular began in 1986 in East San Jose as a community based grassroots school to address a growing need for English instruction in a mostly Spanish-speaking neighborhood, and has been providing educational services ever since.  It has evolved into several schools including Escuela Popular High School Academy Under 19, a public charter school for grades 9-12.  Its student body is 97% Hispanic, 76% Low Income, 78% learning English, 63% female, 37% male.  Because of these unusual demographics, the High School Academy Under 19 provides intensive English Language Development so that students are able to meet their goal of graduating bilingual and biliterate.  Students benefit from the individual attention afforded by a 20:1 student-to-teacher ratio.  Per its website: “What sets this school apart from other high schools is that it accepts students regardless of whether they are at grade level.  It thus meets the student where she/he is at academically and accelerates learning from that point forward. Many of our under age 19 students have not done well in traditional schools.”  Perhaps as a result, academic progress is markedly lower than state average, and advancement thru the grade levels 9-12 is slower. (It’s not clear from public data, but it appears that there are considerably more students in the 9^th grade than subsequent grades, indicating slow advancement.) 

My presentation to a dozen+ 9^th  and 10^th graders was organized by history teacher Jenee Donner and arranged by Penny Savryn, Education & Marketing Manager,  and Veronica Siegel, Administrative Program Coordinator, of Jewish Family and Children’s Services.

by George J Elbaum

Luther Burbank School is a K-8th grades public school in with approximately 500 students.  A combination of demographics, economics, and language of the student body presents a major challenge to the school’s faculty and staff in providing academic advancement of the students.  Based on GreatSchools.com information, the demographics are 90% Latino, 3.5% Asian, 3% White, 2.5% Black, and 1% other, but 84% of the students are from low income families and 63% are now learning English.  The result of this combination is that the students’ test scores and their academic progress is markedly below state average, even though students/teacher ratio is at state average, the percentage of teachers with 3 or more years of experience is above state average, as is their salary structure.  While the difficulty is evident, its solution remains elusive.

My presentation to 55 7^th graders was organized by teacher Sandy Brooks as part of the collaborative program Holocaust & Resistance of the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM’s Ron Glait) and the Jewish Family and Children Services (JFCS’s Penny Savryn.)

by George J Elbaum

Thornton High School is a public, alternative school with current attendance of 124 students, primarily in grades 11-12, and its continuation program is designed to provide the opportunity for students to earn academic credits and meet the requirements for a high school diploma.  In a broader sense, Thornton’s mission is to build an educational community which would reintegrate at-promise students into educational, social and community activities and to develop feelings of self-worth, tolerance and community awareness, thus becoming productive and responsible citizens.  To foster community involvement, for example, students must complete at least 75 hours of community service and earn elective credits.  Students are referred to Thornton for a variety of reasons; each has his or her own story on what obstacle(s) got in the way of staying on credit track to graduate on time. With collaboration between the students themselves, families, staff, and community, the majority thrive at Thornton and earn enough credits to graduate on time. Several even end up graduating early, helped by smaller class sizes, increased teacher-student-family contact, individualized instruction, and the ability to earn credit in a variety of ways.

This was my third talk at Thornton, but the first one since Covid-19 constrained personal interaction, so unfortunately this talk was via Zoom.  As before, this talk was also arranged and organized by English teacher Fernanda Morales for 11^th and 12^th grade students. Before starting I had a very pleasant chat with math teacher Dan Nevo, whose father was also born in Poland in 1938, as I was, and after the talk I received a very nice send-off from teacher Morales and her students (photo below). I look forward to returning to Thornton next year in person, not via Zoom. 

Letters from students

Several weeks after my presentation I received letters sent by teacher Fernanda Morales from her students.  My wife Mimi and I read these letters together after last night’s dinner, highlighted statements or phrases that resonated with us, and I’ll now excerpt these and add them to the Thornton post on my website http://www.neitheryesterdays.com.  I look forward to visiting Thornton again next year in person rather than via Zoom

• What you shared is significant because it shows how ignorance led to catastrophic events, so spreading awareness about this topic may prevent another tragic event.
• After you shared your story I noticed the little things in my life and now cherish them more than before.
• What was most memorable to me was the message that no matter the situation, life threatening or not, you can still be a strong and great person.
• Hearing your story and Elie Weisel’s book gave me a much better understanding of the Holocaust because both showed us the living conditions, how the Nazis treated people, and how heartless they were to Jews.
• Everything that you shared with us was important because it showed how cruel the whole thing was.  I could feel how difficult it was.
• I am grateful for what you were teaching us.
• My favorite part was hearing about your time spent at different houses.  I connected with that the most because my great grandmother hid the same was.  It was memorable because my grandfather and his side of the family are Jewish.
• Your story is important because we must learn to recognize the signs of future atrocities, and your story is one part of that solution.
• My favorite part was that you continued to move past everything that happened in your life and became successful.
• I somewhat connected with having a rough time in the past when I was younger and learned from it.  I became someone better.
• We must stand together to go against the evil out there, that is what I take away from your (and Elie Wiesel’s) stories.