Shining Through

The trees rushed past in a blur as I felt my sorrow and confusion chase me through the dark forests of my mind. I looked to the sky, hoping to find a hint of sunrise, but all there was to greet me was the dark veil of the night sky robbed of its stars in the face of my pain.  I felt my confusion overcome me and suddenly I was falling through a vortex of colors, sounds, and lights.  Then all too suddenly I jolt up in bed and awake from my nightmare of the past.
—Anna Rand, Eighth Grade Student

On April 28, as part of their Social Inclusion class with Ms. Cody, the eighth grade had the great privilege of participating in a virtual Holocaust Education presentation with Mark Ludwig, Executive Director of the Terezin Music Foundation, and Simon Gronowski, a Holocaust survivor in Brussels, Belgium. The poem above was inspired by the presentation, the story of Terezin and the experience of Mr. Gronowski. 

Mark Ludwig founded the Terezin Music Foundation in 1991 to document and preserve the music and art that was created and performed in Terezin, a concentration camp that was located near Prague, Czechoslovakia during World War II.  With education, tolerance and social justice being an important part of the foundation’s mission, Ms. Cody felt that this Holocaust Education program would be a natural fit for Waldorf Education and the Social Inclusion curriculum—to build empathy and to honor the diversity and history of humankind.  “I reached out to Mark and after many conversations and much planning, Mark presented the first Music of Terezin assembly at WSL in January of 2012. The Hawthorne String Quartet, of which Mark was a member, played pieces that were composed in Terezin, and Edgar Krasa, a Holocaust survivor, shared his amazing story of being a Holocaust survivor.”

Students who experienced this original presentation were moved and deeply engaged as evidenced by some of their reflections after this 2012 performance:

• “I felt astonished.  I was most interested in Edgar’s speech.  It was amazing to hear firsthand from a Holocaust survivor.”

• “I felt amazed at what so many people had to go through, and that they still found it in them to make art and music.”

• “I learned that no matter what people look like, what their skin color is, or what they believe, they are still people, and we should treat everyone with respect.  Also, that we should not hold grudges.  I think it is amazing that Edgar does not hold a grudge, and we should all learn from him.”

• “I learned that we are all equal, and should be treated as such.”  

This was the beginning of the Holocaust Education presentation that Ms. Cody has continued to provide throughout the years. Unlike in years past, the circumstances of Covid required that the presentation this year be virtual. Yet it was still personal and meaningful. Together, Mark and Simon shared an inspiring presentation that was filled with love and humanity. There was time in the presentation for a number of students to interact virtually with Mr. Gronowski from his home in Belgium and ask questions. He graciously and tenderly responded to the students in English and French (with an interpreter). It was deeply moving, and everyone who attended was grateful for the opportunity to meet Mark and Simon and to hear their stories. The presentation concluded with Mr. Gronowski playing the piano for the students.

Class Reflections on the Holocaust Education Presentation—2021

Lauren Smith, the eighth grade class teacher shares her reflection: “the class had just learned about World Wars I and II. They knew about the trench warfare in Belgium in World War I. Simon Grownowski was speaking to us on Zoom from Belgium. We could picture the scars on that reclaimed land. We had just talked about whether or not it had been true that WWI was “the war to end all wars”. The students said no war will end all wars. There will always be war, but Mr. Grownowski, who had escaped Auschwitz and had his family killed by the Nazis, said he has hope for mankind. He told us, "Democracy is an everyday fight." I thought of our classes last semester when we watched the election and then the inauguration. We heard the inspiring words of the poet, Amanda Gorman. And then we saw the insurrection. Mr. Grownowski's story was proof of how we must fight for democracy. His message was hope. The fight is worth it!”

Student reflection: “Although Simon’s tragic tale brought tears to my eyes, I am deeply honored to have heard and learned from him. He truly is a beam of sunshine glowing through the dark clouds of the Holocaust.”

Click here to view more student reflections.

Additional Information About The Presenters

Mark Ludwig is a Boston Symphony Orchestra member emeritus who blends his musical career with social causes promoting tolerance. He has performed on numerous CDs and in concerts to benefit causes in the US, Bosnia, Darfur, Tibet, and Europe. In 2009 he performed for the Dalai Lama at the United States Capitol in a ceremony awarding His Holiness the Tom Lantos Human Rights Prize. For his global outreach efforts, Mr. Ludwig was nominated to be a UNESCO Artist-for-PEACE and Goodwill Ambassador. (excerpted from terezinmusic.org)

Simon Gronowski is a lawyer, author, and musician in Brussels, Belgium who shares his Holocaust story widely, always ending with a message of hope, kindness and faith in the future. At age 89, he continues to work for social justice causes and to educate younger generations about the importance of treating people with kindness and respect, of being positive and lifting people up and of doing good in the world. See more about Mr. Gronowski in this NYTimes article, which is also available in this PDF.