Article by PhoenixOnline writer Ailish Blaney ’28
Thirty-nine sophomore students visited the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center in Glen Cove on Friday, April 24.
The seven year annual tradition gives students a first hand experience of the horror people had to face during the Holocaust, specifically in Europe 1933-Nuremberg Trials in 1948. The tour included a display of prison uniforms Jews had to wear in concentration camps, a child’s shoe left behind, and numerous photos.
One photo featured a woman with her children. They were walking amidst a road filled with people. There was something in one child’s hand, appearing to be a brown paper bag. The child did not let go of the bag. She had no idea what was happening, gripping it as if she were never letting go.
A highlight of the trip was a testimony given by a child of a Holocaust survivor. She talked about her parents being sent to live with a Christian family for protection and later immigrating to the United States. Real stories like these are what makes an impact on students. When studying these events in school, it all seems like a fantasy, a fiction. Yet, having a guest speaker with personal stories created such a different atmosphere.
However, the purpose of this trip wasn’t only to educate young people about the events of World War II. We know the statistics, over 6 million Jews died, families were separated, destruction and fear. “It’s really to be able to have the knowledge to know that we never want to have it happen again,” said Mr. Masuilis.
Students learned all about why this event happened, the history behind the horror, the bystanders who knew what was happening yet didn’t do anything about it. After all, the Holocaust isn’t the only event of its kind. There are countless other insidious events in history motivated by hate rather than love. Learning about the Rwandan Genocide, the Middle-East, the Sudanese Civil War has opened many eyes. These events are still happening today. There is still anti-semitism in the world, there is still injustice, hate, evil, and corruption. However, it is not too late. Sophomores also learned about the brave men and women who decided to make a change in the world, people like Martin Luther King Jr., Malala, and Nelson Mandela. These people saw what was happening in their respective countries and decided to stand up for change. People have power to make a choice. After all, as Mr. Masuilis said, “Life is all about choices, and you can choose to be an upstander or a bystander.”
When asked if anything stuck out to her, Sophomore Abby Toscano said, “I really liked seeing the burning of the books. I feel like literature gives people power; Only read and see what he wants them to see.”
The power of the pen is not something to neglect when trying to take over the world. Nazi propaganda was wide-spead throughout Europe, encouraging people to mistreat others. This is why it’s so important to stay true to one’s beliefs. For history is bound to repeat itself if we are not the ones to stop it.
Volunteers from the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center named Donna Rosenblum, Joanne Levant, Luise Linder, and Linda Orgel were generous to bring informational posters regarding the Holocaust
