Update (Nov 18) NPSC says there is a change to Tuesday’s presentation as Andy Réti is not able to join on Tuesday. Instead, Daniella Lurion from Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center will be facilitating a presentation that day.
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Grade 7-12 students at the Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board will be hearing from a Holocaust survivor over the next few days.
Born in 1942, Andy Réti was only two years old when his mother and grandmother were forced into a Jewish ghetto in Budapest, Hungary.
He was liberated on January 18, 1945, by the Soviet Red Army.
Réti is presenting to students as part of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies program, being hosted by the board at St. Joseph-Scollard Hall (SJSH) Thursday, Nov. 14 and Tuesday, Nov. 19.
“Hearing from a Holocaust survivor or a descendant provides a poignant, personal insight into the human cost of unchecked hatred,” states a release from the board. “Students will gain an empathetic and informed understanding of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, becoming witnesses to this dark chapter of history and enhancing their knowledge.”
Grades 9-12 students at SJSH will take in Thursday’s sessions while Tuesday’s event is for Grades 7 & 8 students from across the board.
Officials say over the last year, the Ministry of Education has expanded Holocaust learning across Ontario by providing resources to school boards to combat hate and racism, including antisemitism.
