Every Holocaust Survivor has a Different Story.

On Holocaust Memorial Day ,Friday 27th January, forty Year 9 students visited Durham Cathedral and participated in workshops about the Holocaust and then listened to Rudi Oppenheimer a Holocaust survivor. Rudi survived five years under the Nazis in Holland and in the camps of ‘Westerbork’ and Bergen-Belsen. He ended up on ‘The Last Train from Belsen’.

He explained how life had become progressively more difficult for all Jewish people living in Germany with the advent of Hitler and the Nazis. Rudi said it was awful not being allowed into public places such as parks, zoos, restaurants, hotels, museums, libraries and swimming pools because he was a Jew. They had to hand in their bicycles and were not allowed on the bus or tram. He had to leave his school and attend a Jewish school. Jews were forced to wear the yellow star.

Students listened attentively to Rudi for ninety minutes. They were moved to tears when he described how he had to steal food in order to survive and how his parents had both died four months before the war ended. Students were taken aback when Rudi claimed he felt nothing when they died. His feelings were nullified by the desire for self survival and he was temporarily dehumanised by the experience of ‘genocide’.

One student said: “It was amazing to meet someone who knew Anne Frank and played in the same street as her.”

Staff who accompanied students on this visit said how emotional and overwhelming this experience had been. They felt privileged to be there and were proud of the students who showed great compassion and whose behaviour was impeccable.

Mrs A Toulson