LCC grade 6 students touch upon the causes of the Second World War and the atrocities of the Holocaust. Here is a sampling of reflections from some of our students about their recent visit to the Montreal Holocaust Center and their visit with Mrs. Ann Levy, a Holocaust survivor. Some students also sketched an artifact that they saw at the museum.
Explain a new thing that you learned during your visit to the Holocaust Center.
I learned that in labor camps inmates were not allowed to have pencil and paper. If someone was caught with these items they would be confiscated and the person would be severely punished. In spite of these rules the inmates still made a remembrance book for another inmate’s birthday. – Thomas N. ’18
I learned a little bit more about book burning. I thought Nazis only burned books written by Jews. They burned books written by handicapped people. There were tons of books burned that were from Helen Keller who was blind. I also learned they burned the books at a university. – Matthew L. ’18
During the visit I learned a lot of other things but there was one that really interested me. It was letters shaped in a heart. They were for birthday letters to send. When they did this they took a lot of risks doing this and the risks were probably deadly. – Victoria L. ’18
I also learned about the kinder transport, it brought many refugee Jewish children from Germany to Great Britain between 1938 and 1940. – Carolyn S. ’18
One of the things that I learned during my visit to the Holocaust Center was that there were many survivors who came to Canada. Most of these immigrants donated artifacts from the Holocaust to the museum. For example, a girl named Fatima donated a small book that had an “F” embroidered on it that she got for her birthday. In the book her friends from the concentration camp that she was sent to, wrote a message for her. – Anthony ’18
What do you think you’ll remember most about Mrs. Levy’s presentation?
I remember that she had to leave her parents and never saw them again. I think this will stay in my mind because I could [not] imagine never seeing my parents again. I will also remember this because it happened to a lot of children and I can just imagine their horrified faces. – Sophia A. ’18
I think that what I will remember the most is that at such a young age her parents were taken away from her and no child should go through that. And she did not have a permanent home. – George ’18
Sketches
Stefania D. ’18: Hearts of Auschwitz – A book made by friends of Stefania on the occasion of her 20th birthday while at Auschwitz
George S. ’18: Man’s jacket worn in the concentration camp
Catherine R. ’18: Urn of ashes