Pebbles, once again, symbolize a Holocaust survivor’s tale

Past and present Woodmere Middle School students honored a local Holocaust survivor who has been sharing her story with them, for 20 years.

A pebble garden in Marion Blumenthal Lazan’s honor was dedicated by this year’s crop of eighth-graders and Hewlett High School freshman that were last year’s eighth-graders to recognize the Hewlett resident on April 17.

The garden will be full of rose bushes, painted pebbles and a plaque for Blumenthal Lazan, in the Outdoor Environmental Center, inspired by her book, “Four Perfect Pebbles.” The book recounts her life during the Holocaust. It has been printed globally.

“Every single one of these students thought about something that would inspire the world the way you inspire us,” WMS English Department Chairwoman, Michele Hochhauser said of the students’ designs.

The dedication ceremony in the pebble garden included a presentation of a painting by eighth-graders Chloe Goldstein and Tevel Bober, showing the garden at it’s fully bloomed potential, a bouquet of flowers and a plaque given to Blumenthal Lazan, commemorating the day. Members of WMS National Junior Honor Society and the student council thanked Blumenthal Lazan for sharing her story, for so many years.

“We’ve had the opportunity to hear her speak multiple times,” Alexa Lapaglia, a Hewlett High freshman said. “She’s inspired us so much. It’s so important that we hear about this and remember it because the generations after us won’t be able to hear it, they’ll only be able to hear it from us, so it’s important that we continue to learn from it and I’m really thankful we have that opportunity.”

Debbie Habshoosh, a former English teacher at WMS met Marion in 2006 and came back for the ceremony.

“Since that time (2006), Marion has been enlightening the hearts and minds of the WMS community, educating all of us through her story of perseverance tolerance and love,” Habshoosh said. “We come together to dedicate this garden to honor this remarkable individual and I don’t use that term lightly. She’s a Holocaust survivor and incredible holocaust speaker whose voice resonates with history. You’re not merely a speaker, but a beacon of light.”

Blumenthal Lazan then spoke with the students in the auditorium, recounting her experience, surviving the Holocaust. She told stories of antisemitism in her early life, sent to concentration camps with attack dogs and barbed wire, living in close, unsanitary quarters with little privacy, food and water.

Blumenthal Lazan told the students about her persisting fear through the Holocaust and the mental games she would play to occupy her mind.

“I decided that if I were to find four petals of about the same size and shape it that would mean that the four members of my family would all survive,” Marion said. “It was a torturous, painful, very difficult game to play.”

She also told the students about her father’s death and her family’s life after the concentration camps, including moving to the United States and starting a family of her own.

Blumenthal Lazan concluded her story with the importance of respect, compassion, love, critical thinking, empathy, faith and continuing to share the story of the holocaust to prevent such an event from ever occurring again.

“I ask you to please, please share my story or any of the Holocaust stories that you read and hear about, share them with your friends, share them with your relatives, and someday, someday share them with your children and yes, even with your grandchildren,” she said.