Student Perspectives: Holocaust Education Programming

In recognition of Holocaust Education Week (November 4), Greenwood participated in numerous learning opportunities throughout the month of November. Here, four students reflect about what they learned from this month. Thank you to Sadie, Sammy, Lucy and Abby for sharing these reflections.

In Grade 10, we read Night by Elie Wiesel, the story of his experience as a Holocaust survivor. During Holocaust Education Week, we talked about modern antisemitism and how it relates to the Holocaust and old forms of hatred. As a Jewish person, I really appreciated that Greenwood did this, especially since I’ve faced antisemitism myself. It was important to me that everyone took part in the discussions and truly understood the issue.

Greenwood also organized a trip to the Holocaust Museum at the Prosserman JCC, which I attended. There, we heard the powerful story of survivor Pinchas Gutter. At first, I thought only Jewish students would get involved, but I was surprised to see so many people from different backgrounds taking time to learn and reflect. It meant a lot to me to be part of this experience.

 

The most impactful thing I learned during Holocaust Education Week was the profound impact that small acts of hate can have. As a Grade 9 student, I participated in a workshop focused on antisemitism in the media and the harmful portrayal of Jewish stereotypes. It was eye opening to realise while these acts may often go unnoticed, they still exist and contribute to a larger culture of hate. This point was reinforced when as a grade, we reflected on hateful comments seen on social media. As well as when Holocaust survivor Pinchas Gutter shared his story with our school, specifically highlighting the importance of combating hate.

Additionally, along with other Greenwood students, I attended a student leadership symposium organized by the Toronto Holocaust Museum, where we toured the museum, heard from educators and engaged with other student advocates. These experiences deepened my understanding of how even small instances of hate can create long-lasting harm and the importance of working toward a more inclusive world.

The most meaningful part of Holocaust Education Month at Greenwood was having Pinchas Gutter, a Holocaust survivor, speak to the community. His story of surviving the death camps as a teenager deeply resonated with me as a descendant of Holocaust survivors. Something that greatly impacted me was when he announced that he had a gift of hope for us. A torch containing five flames: no religious discrimination, no racial discrimination, no homophobia, no xenophobia, and no hate. His message of peace and unity inspires me to strive for kindness in every interaction. I learned that despite having conflicts with others, there is never an appropriate situation for hate.

 

Over the course of Holocaust Education Week, I learned quite a lot. That occurred in two different instances, the first being when Pinchas Gutter, a Holocaust survivor, came to our assembly to speak to us. While his story obviously included the horrors he faced during the Holocaust itself, his story also had a lot of personal meaning. He gave us an in-depth perspective into what his life was like before him and his family were sent to the Warsaw Ghetto when he was seven years old. I remember he told us that when he was a young boy, his father taught him how to decipher different kinds of grapes by smelling them, so that if someone wanted to decipher the origins of a bottle of wine, Pinchas would be able to. While his story had such a large amount of historical significance, it also had a lot of personal meaning behind it, which I think made it all the more powerful. 

I also got to participate in the Tour for Humanity program. I, along with my peers from my World History class (CHY4U), listened to a presentation about genocide. The presentation touched on events of genocide around the world, but it mainly focused on the genocide that occurred during the Holocaust. I learned many new things that I didn’t before, and I was also reminded of facts and statistics that I had forgotten. 

In conclusion, the stories and information that I was exposed to during our school’s Holocaust Education Week reminded me of the horrors that occurred, and allowed me to continue to be educated about this historical event, and for that I am very grateful.