Holocaust survivor at academy
Wearside youngsters heard a first hand account about the horrors of war.
Holocause survivor, Janine Webber, went along to Castle View Enterprise Academy in Sunderland.
Year 9 and 10 GCSE history students were able to listen to the testomony of Janine.
The testimony was followed by a question and answer session which enabled students to better understand the nature of the Holocaust and to explore its lessons in more depth.
The visit was part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s year round Outreach Programme, which is available to schools across the UK.
Charlotte Russell, acting head of history at Castle View Enterprise Academy, said: “It was a privilege for us to welcome Janine Webber to our school and her testimony will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced.
“We are grateful to the Holocaust Educational Trust for co-ordinating the visit and we hope that by hearing Janine’s testimony, it will encourage our students to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust and make a positive difference in their own lives.”
Janine was born in Lwow, Poland in 1932 where the persecution of Jews started after its German occupation in 1941.
Janine and her family were forced to move to an area on the outside of town in preparation for the establishment of a ghetto.
On hearing there would be a Nazi raid, Janine, her mother and brother, hid in a hole that had been dug under the wardrobe. The Nazis discovered the other members of her family and her father was shot and he and her brother were deported to a concentration camp.
Janine and her brother went to live with another family where the boy was killed by an SS soldier. Janine’s aunt managed to obtain fake papers for her and she went to live in a convent until the war was over.
In 1956, Janine came to England where she met and married her husband.
Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Janine’s story is one of tremendous courage during horrific circumstances and by hearing her testimony, students have the opportunity to learn where prejudice and racism can ultimately lead.
“At the Trust, we impart the history of the Holocaust to young people, to ensure that we honour the memory of those whose lives were lost and take forward the lessons taught by those who survived.”