Holocaust Education Presentation

On Wednesday, October 27, our seventh and eighth grade students with some faculty and staff, had the opportunity to meet Simon Gronowski and hear him speak. Mr. Gronowski, who is 90 years old, traveled to the US from his home in Belgium to be honored as a co-recipient of the 2021 Terezin Legacy Award and to meet with the students at the Waldorf School of Lexington. Now a Doctor of Law and the president of the Union of Jewish Deportees in Belgium, Mr. Gronowski escaped deportation to Auschwitz when his mother pushed him from a convoy train as it was briefly stopped by resistance fighters. He was eleven years old. His mother and sister were both murdered at Auschwitz.

Mr. Gronowski was accompanied by his interpreter, his grandson, and Mark Ludwig, Executive Director of the Terezin Music Foundation. He spoke directly with the students and at times relied on his interpreter, especially when he gave the audience an opportunity to ask questions. Although his story was stark and grim, Mr. Gronowski encouraged the students to be brave and hopeful—to sew seeds of Peace and Friendship because they are essential to humanity.

He closed by playing a short jazz piece on the piano, in memory of his beloved sister who introduced him to his love of Jazz. Photos from the presentation are available here.

Read student reflections of the presentation here. Click here to see a video from the Terezin Music Foundation (TMF) 2021 Gala Concert. Mr. Gronowski is honored and appears at time stamp 30:55.

Thanks to Susan Cody who first reached out to the Terezin Music Foundation (TMF) in 2012, for continuing to organize WSL's participation in this transformative program. Our students have had the experience of hearing from two other survivors over the years, Edgar Krasa and Dr. Anna Ornstein. Click here to read about the experience our eighth grade had last Spring during a Zoom call with Mr. Gronowski and Mr. Ludwig through TMF's Holocaust and genocide education program. WSL has participated in this program since 2012.

Presenter Simon Gronowski closed by playing a short jazz piece on the piano, in memory of his beloved sister who introduced him to his love of Jazz.