Eden Boys’ School pupils hear from Holocaust survivor

Eden Boys’ School pupils heard first-hand about the atrocities of the Second World War when Holocaust survivor Ernest Simon paid us a visit.

87 year old Austrian born Ernest Simon addressed the whole school at an assembly to launch the secondary school’s Holocaust Memorial Day activities. Mr Simon shared his story about how he and his younger brother came to the UK in 1939 via the Kindertransport to flee the Nazis when Ernest was aged eight. Soon after, his parents followed on domestic permits, however the family lived apart for many years as Ernest was sent to live with a foster family at the start of the Second World War. Unlike the stories of many Jews around the time of the Holocaust, Ernest’s story has a happy ending as the family were reunited in Leeds in 1942.

Ernest, who now lives in London, shares his testimony to help young people better understand the nature of the Holocaust and to explore its lessons in more depth. The visit was arranged through the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET) as part of their Outreach Programme, which is available to schools across the UK all year round.

Our pupils had the opportunity to ask Mr Simon questions about his experiences.

Year 9 pupil Muhammad Ibrahim commented, “It was a real honour and privilege to meet Mr Simon. Listening to his amazing story really made me appreciate the challenges the Jewish people went through during the Holocaust.”

Asiyah Ravat, our Principal, said, “Our pupils listened with great maturity to the account of Holocaust survivor Ernest Simon and used the opportunity to ask questions to help deepen their understanding of this incredibly bleak period in history. Mr Simon’s visit provided us with an opportunity to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust, and activities in school will build on what Mr Simon shared with us.”

Holocaust Memorial Day, held annually on 27 January, remembers the six million Jews murdered in the Holocaust, and the millions of people killed in Nazi Persecution and in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur. The date of 27 January marks the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp.

A number of pupils at Eden Boys’ School have a deeper understanding of this period in history having trained as Anne Frank Ambassadors. Five of these boys will represent our school and the Anne Frank Trust at Birmingham City Council’s Holocaust Memorial Day service at Council House in Victoria Square on Sunday 28 January. The pupils will light candles in memory of Holocaust victims.

87 year old Holocaust survivor Ernest Simon paid a visit to Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham as part of the school’s activities to mark Holocaust Memorial Day Pupils and staff at Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham listened intently to the story of Holocaust survivor Ernest Simon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Added By: Saudhrul Amin | Date Added: 29th Jan 2018 | Posted In:

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