With it being Holocaust Memorial Day this week, I thought I should share my own personal experiences with the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ Project from the Holocaust Educational Trust. This is an incredible organisation that has dedicated itself to educating young people about the Holocaust and the effects it has had on people through time, giving free seminars as well as financing a trip to the concentration camps themselves. Never had I expected to be a part of such a meaningful organisation as well as visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau. Reflecting upon my experience, this was an opportunity to gain an education on the survivors as well as getting an insight to the perpetrators of such a horrific time in our history.
Firstly, we had a seminar to gain more knowledge on the Holocaust itself and who it affected, focusing especially on humanizing the Jews themselves as well as who they were before the Holocaust. Lessons from Auschwitz centred on giving these people back their identities. This is essential for young people to know, for it contributes to the prevention of letting anything like the Holocaust happening again.
Zigi, the Holocaust survivor who I was fortunate enough to hear from at the first seminar, was someone who has made a real impact; this individual who has survived such tragedy in his life, was so lively and grateful with what he had – such positivity is what makes one think, this man who has suffered so much came out as someone so inspiring. And this was a message I wanted to pass onto others. After listening to his experiences in Auschwitz in the Holocaust, and then visiting Auschwitz itself, is truly something I cannot describe.
Before I visited, I was unsure on how to react… would I cry? My educator told me everyone has a different reaction with no right or wrong way to feel. It is not until you visit it yourself that one can understand what they meant by that. Before visiting, people expect they would have a better understanding of the magnitude of the Holocaust by going to Auschwitz. But now I have seen it for myself, I know that despite seeing the Book of Names, I still am unable to grasp it fully. When we were there, it was not until my educator started to read individual experiences of survivors whilst we were standing in such a place, and when the Rabbi sung a hymn with such raw emotion, that I truly felt the horrors of what happened, and how we must spread awareness of the Holocaust’s relevance today.
Thank you for reading! I hope this can give an insight on how significant the Holocaust is and how we must remember it!