Westfield Students Hear from Children Of Holocaust Survivors

WESTFIELD, NJ - Eighth graders at Edison Intermediate School recently heard accounts from a group comprised of children of Holocaust survivors who shared facts, photographs and a common message that hate cannot be tolerated anywhere.

“The Holocaust was the systematic murder of 6-million Jews and other populations,” said Lydia Fogelman to a class of 8th graders. “We are here now to tell you the stories of our mothers and how they survived.”

Fogelman was one of six members of the Second/Third Generation Holocaust Survivors Group to visit Edison to share their family stories of loss and survival. The group was co-founded by Claire Bornstein, Rita Geller and Faye Bodenstein at Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains in 2015 and includes members from throughout the area.

“The group’s objectives are to share stories, provide support, to learn even more about our history and, most importantly, to create opportunities for Holocaust education in our schools, synagogues and community,” said Barbara Simon whose maternal and paternal grandparents, an uncle, and three aunts were among her family members to die during the Holocaust.

Simon said the visit to Edison was the group’s first experience speaking in a school.

“We hope to continue,” she said. “Our goal is to instill our ‘be an Upstander, not a bystander’ philosophy. We hope the students understood the message that we cannot change the past but they should participate in the future. We wish to instill confidence in the kids to not only be able to recognize hate, but to also feel empowered to realize that staying quiet should not be an option. Hate is not okay.”

Joining Simon and Fogelman in speaking to three 8th grade language arts classes were Claire Bornstein, Rita Geller, Debra Feldman and Gila Glassel.

“Edison’s 8th grade language arts classes are currently involved in a social justice book club unit. Students are reading a number of books that deal with the themes of prejudice, righteous individuals, bravery, and morality,” said Principal Matthew Bolton. “We are incredibly fortunate to have members of the Second/third Generation Holocaust Survivors Group share their compelling stories of sadness and survival with our students.”

Bolton said Edison students will also hear from a Holocaust survivor who will visit the school next month.

“The teaching of the Holocaust and genocide has been part of the K-12 curriculum in Westfield Public Schools for more than two decades, with a multidisciplinary, age-appropriate approach at all grade levels,” said Superintendent Dr. Margaret Dolan. “This visit by members of Congregation Beth Israel and other presentations on the Holocaust provide important real life context to classroom experiences at our intermediate and high schools.”

(Photo 1 Caption: Members of the Second/Third Generation Holocaust Survivors Group of Congregation Beth Israel in Scotch Plains visited Edison Intermediate School on Feb. 1 to share
facts, photographs and a common message that hate cannot be tolerated anywhere. From left, Edison principal Dr. Matthew Bolton, Claire Bornstein, Lydia Fogelman, Barbara Simon, Rita Geller, Debra Feldman, and Gila Glassel. Photo courtesy of the Westfield School District)

(Photo 2 Caption: Gila Glassel shows photographs of her grandparents who were killed during the Holocaust, as well as her mother who survived the Holocaust. Glassel was among 6 children of Holocaust survivors to visit Edison Intermediate School on Feb. 1 to speak to 8th grade language arts classes. Photo courtesy of the Westfield School District)

(Photo 3 Caption: Rita Geller shows a photograph of her mother and grandmother who survived the Holocaust to 8th grade language arts students at Edison Intermediate School on Feb. 1. Photo courtesy of the Westfield School District)

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