Born Survivors Visit Classroom
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Photo courtesy of Bronna Lehmann
A full auditorium greatly enjoyed hearing an inspiring true story from two of the three youngest Holocaust survivors and the son of one of their rescuers. The following day they spent time at Belleville High School with Mrs. Jenkin's English class and Mr. Hodgson's US History class answering student questions. The Belleville Public Library was honored to have arranged both of these presentations. We are very grateful to Mark Olsky, Hana Berger-Moran, Brian Petersohn, Jerry Huffman, and author Wendy Holden, whose book Born Survivors shares their story with the world.
It was an opportunity of a lifetime for Elizabeth Jenkins's English 10 and Chad Hodgson's AP United States History classes, in which both classes were able to hear the stories of Mark Olsky and Hana Berger Moran, two of the youngest survivors of the Holocaust. Written by Wendy Holden, Born Survivors is a non-fiction biography about three mothers who had given birth to their children on their way to Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria.
This event coincided with the Belleville Public Library's presentation of the book on Thursday, May 17th. The students had written and prepared questions for the survivors as well as Brian Petersohn, whose father helped liberate Mauthausen in 1945. All students and staff that attended the presentation were given copies of Born Survivors.
"Meeting Holocaust survivors is an opportunity that few students will be able to experience. They learned not only important lessons about history and humanity, but also life changing lessons about perseverance and empathy," says Jenkins, who helped coordinate the presentation.
The stories that were told by Olsky and Berger Moran were eye-opening to say the least. Students were in awe of their stories.
"It was an incredible experience, learning about history from people who lived it," said Grace Przybyl, a senior in Mr. Hodgson's AP United States History class who attended the presentation.
The students of Mrs. Jenkins and Mr. Hodgson's classes would like to thank Olsky, Berger Moran, and Petersohn for providing their stories as well as their family's stories. The presentation helped everyone gain a deeper understanding of the horrendous ordeals of the Holocaust.
