Survivor Testimonies #1

Identical twin sisters Iudit Barnea and Lia Huber  were born in 1937 in the town of Şimleul Silvaniei, Transylvania. In 1940, Transylvania was annexed to Hungary, and in June 1942 their father Zvi was taken to a forced labor unit on the Russian front.

27th January: Holocaust Memorial Day 2012

On 27th January, three of the creators of Auschwitz: On Reflection went to Wolfreton Lower School to remember and honour the lives of the victims of the Holocaust. The afternoon was comprised of various speeches and performances, each offering those attending the chance to consider a different element of Holocaust education. Some particularly memorable aspects were:

• The singing of 'Shalom' by the school choir: This remembrance of the Jewish culture is intrinsically important as it is possible to overlook the victims of the Holocaust as mere statistics, so this performance was very poignant.
• The year 10 BTEC drama devised piece: This explored how easy it can be to become so overwhelmed by governmental power and how difficult it can be to resist when it seems as though you are outnumbered. It also addressed the psychological impact of having survived the Holocaust.
• The readings of various poems, pre and post WW2: Extracts were taken from poems that aimed to highlight the sanctity of life and needlessness of war. This part of the performance afternoon was particularly relevant, as it is through art, literature, poetry, music and drama (and other media) that we can learnt to prevent genocides. The promotion of anti-racism and equality through, in this case, poetry is a brilliant means of spreading the message.