For the past few years, the Jewish Affinity Group (JAG) has been dedicated to bringing a Holocaust survivor to Springfield Township High School. Partnered with the Holocaust Awareness Museum in Elkins Park, PA, JAG brought in speaker Michael Fryd to share his story with students and teachers.
Michael Fry’s Story
Fryd was born in 1936 in Wolomin, a small town in Poland. When the Nazi regime took over, Fryd’s family was sent to a Jewish ghetto, and from then on, his childhood was defined by the Holocaust. Fryd spoke about the hate that ensued during and even after the war ended. Throughout his speech, he made clear why and how “hate is destructive,” and that “we have an obligation as human beings not to hate.” He encouraged students to stand up against hate and be a “mensch,” Yiddish for a kind and upstanding person.
Student Takeaways
Jewish Affinity Group leader Emily Miller says, “It’s really important to share [Holocaust survivors’] stories.” She emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of education now, “because there aren’t many [speakers able to share] anymore.”
According to Miller, JAG hosted Mr. Fryd in hopes of maintaining an open dialogue and education toward the tragedies of the Holocaust. Students took advantage of the opportunity to further their education, and took Mr. Fryd’s words to heart–one freshman in the audience, Robby Rivera, said he “[felt] like he could go up and talk to him.” He said he felt lucky: “he was very vulnerable and willing to share his story with us.”
The Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center (HAMEC) seeks to continue sponsoring survivors as they share their stories, in order to “[help students] understand the consequences of racism, intolerance, and ethnic cleansing,” as said on their website. After Mr. Fryd’s speech, students felt they had taken a step closer to doing so. Junior Emmett Lacy, for one, said that he was reminded of “what ideologies led to hate.” And Kaia Lujan said it was incredibly important to host Mr. Fryd, so that awareness ensures “nothing awful like that happens again.”
By visiting schools, the HAMEC reminds children that “prejudice, bigotry, and indifference threaten democracy.” Spartans must remember this; as Mr. Fryd says, we must remember that “hate is destructive.”
