Floral Park Memorial High School 10th-graders received an eyewitness account of the Holocaust when Irving Roth, director of the Holocaust Resources Center at Temple Judea in Manhasset, visited recently.
Roth, who was born in Czechoslovakia in 1929, spoke to students about his childhood, which began in luxury. He also described to students how the world began to change through propaganda and education and how his family lost everything, including friends who eventually betrayed them.
“These are not just dates in history,” Roth said. “Students need to understand that what happens in the world does affect people. It’s also important for them to understand the step-by-step process by which the Holocaust took place and that it didn’t just happen.”
Roth survived the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps and was eventually reunited with his parents. His brother, grandparents and other family members did not survive. At the conclusion of his presentation, Roth asked students to always remember his story and to share it with future generations. He also asked them to act when they see injustice.
(Courtesy of Sewanhaka Central High School District)
