Voices of Survival: Yokosuka Middle School students connect with Holocaust survivors
YOKOSUKA, JAPAN – Students stepped into living history at Yokosuka Middle School as they participated in the 12th annual Holocaust Survivor Teleconference - an event that bridges generations through stories of survival, courage, and inner strength. Organized by eighth grade English Language Arts teachers Andrea Greer and Jennifer Battle, these teleconferences offer students a rare opportunity to hear directly from Holocaust survivors, whose powerful testimonies not only illuminate the horrors of the past, but also deliver the timeless message that even if the world is silent, your voice can make a difference.
"Authentic learning from firsthand testimony allows students to connect to history on a deeper level by making it personal,” Battle said. “Students learn the very real consequences of choosing to be the difference they want to see in the world, of being an upstander rather than a bystander."
On May 6, 2025, eighth graders had the opportunity to meet Ms. Gabriella Karin. Gabriella grew up in Czechoslovakia. Her parents owned a deli, which was next to a local police station. Her mother, while Jewish, had friends in the police department who sometimes gave her the list of Jews that were scheduled for deportation. Due to these forbidden lists, Gabriella’s mother was able to warn friends and family members of upcoming deportations, saving numerous lives. As daily life continued to get more difficult for the Jews, her family decided to go into hiding and was saved by a family friend, Karol Blanar. After immigrating to the United States, Gabriella sought out Mr. Blanar to thank him for saving her and her family, but she only located him after his death. She also reached out to Yad Vasham to share his selfless deed and Mr. Blanar was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. When she found out that he was buried without a marker, Gabriella purchased a tombstone and included this title on his final resting spot.
On May 14, 2025, sixth and seventh graders met Ms. Gitta Rosenzweig. Gitta is one of the few Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust. When the ghetto was being liquidated by the Nazis, Gitta’s mother told her to run into the forest. At the age of four, Gitta wandered the forest until a kind farmer found her and took her in. He was understandably frightened to hide a Jewish child, so Gitta was passed to multiple families before being hidden in plain sight in a Catholic orphanage. Since she only spoke Yiddish, Gitta was instructed to not speak at all in this life or death situation. Gitta’s parents, grandparents, and siblings were all murdered in the Holocaust.
Students had the opportunity to ask questions of both Ms. Karin and Ms. Rosenzweig and appreciated learning from both women’s experiences.
“We can learn from history and what to look for so we don't repeat it,” eighth grade student Miguel R. said.
