Year 10 Holocaust Workshop
Sue Garlick
/ Categories: General
On Wednesday 15th January a group of Year 10 history students had the opportunity to visit Sussex University to take part in a workshop about the Holocaust. Students studied primary source materials to try to work out what the outside world knew about the concentration camps, and to learn about the attitudes of the general public toward Germany and the Nazis at the time. They then got the opportunity to meet with Lily Dreyfuss who survived in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp for 18 months when she was just 5 years old.
Lily told us about losing both of her parents to starvation as they gave her all their rations, and spoke about the appalling conditions she was forced to live in. Her story was incredibly moving and forced us all to think about how very lucky we are to have our freedom and to have food and medicine and all the things that we need to stay healthy and happy. I’m sure Lily’s story will stick with us all for a long time to come.
Later this year some of our students will be visiting Bergen-Belsen and will lay a stone on the grave of Lily’s parents, as is the Jewish custom. Lily says she feels honoured that we will do that for her as she has never felt able to return to the camp herself.