Troy Middle School eighth graders listen intently as Holocaust survivor Ivan Vamos shares historical documents and personal artifacts during his visit.
Eighth graders at Troy Middle School recently had the opportunity to hear the firsthand experience of a Holocaust survivor. Ivan Vamos was born in Hungary in 1938, in the midst of unrest throughout Europe prior to the start of World War II. Vamos’ visit coincides with the eighth graders’ historical fiction unit in ELA and the WWII and Holocaust unit in Social Studies.
Vamos shared his story of narrowly escaping with his mother before being sent to a concentration camp and their subsequent travels throughout Hungary to avoid being captured. He detailed the hardships they faced and the importance of remembering the past to ensure it is never repeated. Students listened attentively and respectfully, asking thoughtful questions and reflecting on the lessons of history, justice, and human rights.
Holocaust survivor Ivan Vamos shares his personal story with Troy Middle School eighth graders, using illustrated pages to depict memories from his childhood.
As part of their classwork, students chose from a variety of novels revolving around the Holocaust, learning that sometimes fictional storylines can reveal truths about history in powerful ways.
We would like to thank Mr. Vamos for taking the time to speak with our students and share his powerful story with us.
To learn more about Mr. Vamos’ experiences, you can watch this video, which is part of the “Stories Survive” series from the Museum of Jewish Heritage: