Reflecting on a horrific event

What would the world be like if there had not been a Holocaust? If Adolf Hitler didn’t exist? What would the world be like if the cultures and languages of 13 million people were not decimated?  

What if the great-grandchildren of six million Jewish people were not scared by the stories told by survivors? What if the 1.1 million children who were killed had had the chance to enjoy their childhood? What if all those people were not forced to leave their homes?

If there had not been a Holocaust, many children would have been able to live their lives to the fullest, rather than face an early and miserable death. We would not have to learn from such a horrific component of history.

In order for the world to avoid repeating history, we must remind ourselves why these events happened and their consequences. There is no valid reason for why the Holocaust happened, but Hitler and other Nazis believed that they were superior to others who looked different from them. In spite of their inability to alter their religion or culture to meet Hitler’s standards, millions of people were executed.

During the Holocaust assembly at Lawrence Woodmere Academy (LWA) on May 10, students honored the lives that were lost by sharing the stories passed down by their family members through generations. Some choose to sing songs, perform lyrical dances, or share poems that express how they feel about the events that took place.

Students from diverse backgrounds joined together and showed their solidarity with the families of those affected by the Holocaust. This is a tradition LWA has had for many years; annually inviting students, as well as their families, to remember the unfortunate events that took place.