On Thursday 10th March Year 12 students Joe Coroneo-Seaman, Harrison Dent, Helen Jeffery and Emily Sharman accompanied by Mrs Mayfield from Beverley High School visited the Polish town of Oswiecim and the Nazi concentration camp complex of Auschwitz.
This was part of the Lessons From Auschwitz project run by the Holocaust Educational Trust which involves two seminars, the actual visit and a next steps project. This last part will involve the students planning and delivering a programme of education within the two schools and the local community which will seek to encourage people in Beverley to reflect on the history of the Holocaust when considering local, national and international issues regarding bullying, prejudice, racism, sectarianism, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Joe, Harrison, Helen and Emily have already shown a considerable amount of initiative in writing an essay on ‘Should people visit Auschwitz?’ and during a selection interview as did Katie Morris who qualified for a place in next years project. Their approach has been very enthusiastic and full of ideas which will come to full fruition over the next year.
Included here are some small video extracts taken whilst Rabbi Marcus who is closely involved with the project from his synagogue in London sings a Hebrew prayer of lamentation for the victims of the Holocaust and blows a ritual rams horn, the Shofar before a period of silence. Another clip shows some of the hundreds of photographs of the victims of Auschwitz the way they need to be remembered and as a reminder of what was lost with all its possibilities and potential. The final video shows how the students involved are encouraged to leave Auschwitz walking over the railway line into the camp whilst leaving Menorah candles as a mark of respect.
Update: The Hull Daily Mail’s article about the trip, containing more photos and another video, can be accessed here (external website).