This week, Grade 8 students in DCD’s Facing History and Ourselves class were taken back in time to witness the Holocaust from survivor Janet Singer Applefield, who came in to speak about her experiences during the Holocaust as a young child. This special event expands on FHAO student’s studies where they’ve explored the relationships between identity, individual choices, and historical processes, examining the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany, World War II, and the Holocaust.
Janet Applefield’s story begins in 1939 in Krakow, Poland when she is just four years old. Janet spoke about the realities of her family’s separation and the horrors she experienced, the many homes she lived in, as well as the people who helped her along the way— eventually reuniting with her father, and finally, coming to America.
After her story, the class had the opportunity to ask questions, such as how she felt about her Jewish identity upon coming to America and how that differs from today, how she coped emotionally during such exceedingly difficult times, and what her life looks like now.
In conclusion Applefield shared, “I know that my legacy will continue because my children and grandchildren will continue to tell my story. She continued with a request to the students: “If you could please tell my story to someone who hasn’t heard me speak, it would be a special gift. I am a witness of history and now that you have heard my story, you too are all witnesses.”
She went on to emphasize, “I’ve often thought about the people that saved me because they did something so very difficult and dangerous, and yet they followed their conscience and heart. It’s made me realize the importance of the choices and decisions we make, because even the smallest acts of kindness and gratitude have made a ripple effect. I urge you to be mindful of the choices you make, I urge you to not be silent, and speak out against any kind of injustice.”
You can read Janet’s recently published autobiography, Becoming Janet: Finding Myself in the Holocaust.
