On Thursday, May 28th, Esperanza Academy Middle School students met with Manya Frydman Perel to learn about her experience as a Holocaust survivor.
Manya meets with students around the country as a part of the Witness to History Project. The Witness To History Project is designed to further the message and lessons of the Holocaust by direct interaction between students or interested adults and Holocaust survivors. Participants ʺadoptʺ a survivor by learning his or her unique account via listening to the survivor tell his/her story, asking questions, writing a biography, reviewing a videotape, and memorizing and re-telling the story to others. Ultimately, the participant will have the lifelong job of educating others about the Holocaust by sharing this personal narrative.
Manya says of her experience, “I hope that my life will be an example for others not to take life for granted, not to be prejudiced toward others, and to respect one another. After all, we only have one life to live.”
It is the mission of Esperanza Academy to produce spiritually sensitive and culturally aware young adults. Exposing students to people who have succeeded despite extraordinary circumstances is one way students gain an understanding of the world around them and how incredibly important it is to know their history.
Please join us in solidifying this endeavor by attending the opening reception of the My Home My History exhibit at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, June 3rd, at the National Museum of American Jewish History, where Esperanza Academy students will explore who they are and where they belong by exploring the history of their families and their homes in North Philadelphia.
