By Currents News
Students at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy in Brooklyn gained a deeper understanding of the Holocaust through firsthand testimony that no textbook can provide.
Several classes have been reading books set during the Holocaust.
On March 24, Av Sinensky, a member of 3GNY — an organization of grandchildren of Holocaust survivors — visited the school to speak about his grandfather, who survived Auschwitz.
“There are very few of them left who are able to share those firsthand stories,” Sinensky told the students. “And therefore, it’s really important for those of us who heard those stories to keep sharing them.”
Seventh grader Michael Gallagher said the in-person talk made the history more real: “Just reading out of the book, really understanding it as much as you would as someone who comes in in person and tells you all about it.”
Principal Paul Morisi emphasized the value of the visit: “I think having a guest speaker who has a tie to the real subject was very important for our students.”
After the presentation, students had the opportunity to ask Sinensky questions and speak with him one-on-one.
Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day in the Hebrew calendar, will be observed on April 14.