Holocaust Survivor Recounts History with MS 8th Graders

Hanne Holsten was eight years old, living in her home in Nuremberg, Germany in 1938. Her parents were jewelers and she was the youngest of three children. In November of that year, anti-Jewish laws, sentiment and government intent reached a boiling point in a two-day-long wave of violence and terror that became known as Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass – often considered a turning point of the Holocaust. Her story and perspective of a child who lived it was the subject of Ms. Holsten’s visit with Pelham Middle School 8th graders earlier this year, augmenting their study of the Holocaust.

Ms. Holsten offered students an increasingly rare personal insight into one of the darkest periods in human history. As part of a unit centered around survivor Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, Holsten’s visit gave students a chance to hear about the history directly from someone who survived it. Students felt the weight of her testimony and determined that they would do their part to remember it and help prevent a similar tragedy from ever happening in the future.

“They led a deep discussion on the way survivors often emphasize that the Holocaust started ‘with words’ and silence,” said English teacher Dr. Sarah Pinsker. “Students also discussed their personal responsibility to teach the next generation about the horrors of the Holocaust to ensure it never happens again.”

Students reflected on Holsten’s words after the visit, remarking on the power of hearing about the history they were reading about directly from someone who lived through it. Holsten’s story of state-sponsored violence, her family’s desperate flight from their home and, ultimately, rebuilding their lives in the United States stuck with students and gave them a personal connection to the history they were learning about.

The PMS students were keenly aware that they would be among the last generation to have a chance to meet and speak to survivors like Holsten and they took this privilege seriously, taking time and care to discuss and reflect on the visit. The students rose to the occasion, showing a remarkable level of maturity and respect to their guest.

Ms. Holsten concluded her visit by sharing a message of hope, telling the gathered 8th graders that “You are the ones that can make this world a better place.”