Holocaust Symposium - Student Feedback

"I believe that this is a part of history that should never be forgotten. I promise to tell others about the Holocaust and what can happen if we do not stay strong"

"I knew about the Jews and the Nazis but once I heard the survivors speak I started crying."

"It's hard to believe that people can be as awful to other people as the Nazis were."

"The past can repeat itself, even when most everyone hates that part of the past. That's why it is important to keep an open eye, and not a turned head."

"There is a message for me in this and a lot of it begins with 'Hope is when you remember'".

"You have inspired me to know to never give up during hard times and always to have faith. I hope I will have such great willpower and courage as you did." JakeS.

"Made us realize how lucky we are."

Voices of Hope
Students speak to the survivors

"It's a lot better way to teach youth than textbooks."

"I was not aware of that much racism goes on in our county. I think it is great how you speak your mind and let people know what you think of them. You have inspired me to speak out more and not put up with racial remarks towards my friends."

"The entire Symposium made me want to stop people from being racist and made me want to stop people from prejudging others on the basis of race, religion and a whole list of superficial and hurtful ways. I will try to stop myself from doing that, too, if I ever see myself getting that way." Matthew C.

"Taking this information you have so graciously provided to me and turning it into a useful life lesson will be a hard task for me and my peers to accomplish. I have not experienced outright and hateful oppression firsthand, so I don't know for sure what I will do if and when I see it. I think that if I learn that such atrocious and hurtful events occur, then I will be more equipped than many others to do something about them." ZackL.	" Even though a lot of depressing information was brought forward at this Symposium, I was shocked by the sheer evil of the information, and I was surprised to discover that there is still a lot to learn on this subject that I guess I simply have no idea about. In short, I still have a lot to learn. Even though we students were exposed to a lot of depressing information, I really have to say that that information was essential to our getting a good understanding of what happened during the Holocaust. How could such horrible events be anything but depressing? So, perhaps I have learned one more lesson from this Symposium: We cannot ignore evil, however depressing and upsetting it might be, and hope to learn about it and hope to stop it." Mike H.
"I sat in the auditorium with 1200 other children and tried to imagine what it would be like - having every child in that auditorium dead in a mass grave. I am so glad I went to the symposium. I will tell my children that I heard those survivors speak."	"I believe that this is a part of history that should never be forgotten. I promise to tell others about the Holocaust and what can happen if we do not stay strong"	"I hope and pray that this ongoing suffering and pain never happens again and that these people who have suffered some much can find, or have found, happiness."
"I knew about the Jews and the Nazis but once I heard the survivors speak I started crying."	More letters from students to the survivors	"It's hard to believe that people can be as awful to other people as the Nazis were."
"You made me feel that if we don't put a stop to prejudice now then we are doomed to keep making the same mistakes over and over again." SheenaM.
"The past can repeat itself, even when most everyone hates that part of the past. That's why it is important to keep an open eye, and not a turned head."	"There is a message for me in this and a lot of it begins with 'Hope is when you remember'".	"You have inspired me to know to never give up during hard times and always to have faith. I hope I will have such great willpower and courage as you did." JakeS.
"Made us realize how lucky we are."	Voices of Hope Students speak to the survivors	"It's a lot better way to teach youth than textbooks."
"I was not aware of that much racism goes on in our county. I think it is great how you speak your mind and let people know what you think of them. You have inspired me to speak out more and not put up with racial remarks towards my friends."	"The entire Symposium made me want to stop people from being racist and made me want to stop people from prejudging others on the basis of race, religion and a whole list of superficial and hurtful ways. I will try to stop myself from doing that, too, if I ever see myself getting that way." Matthew C.	"Your presentation and the description of how Canada did nothing to help the Jews made me feel I should stop racism, indeed all forms of prejudice, in any way I can. Sharing experiences like yours during the Holocaust make me feel angry, upset and ashamed...partly for my country Canada and partly for mankind in general". Michelle C.