Lessons from Auschwitz Project

On Thursday 29^th February 2024 A Level students Sara Badeiwi, Nazrul Chowdury and Jayden John Elahee took part in an emotionally one day visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau, the most notorious concentration camp. They were accompanied by Martin Twist, our College Principal. The students were chosen to represent St. Charles in this government funded Lessons from Auschwitz Programme organised by the Holocaust Education Trust. All were delighted to participate in this unique educational experience alongside other students from schools and colleges in the South London region. The project includes 4 parts. Part 1: Orientation Seminar to prepare for the visit, Part 2: Visit to Auschwitz, Part 3: Follow up Seminar to reflect on their experience and Part 4: Next Steps where students complete a project of their choosing to disseminate what they have learnt with their peers.

Here are some of their recollections from the project.

Sara Badeiwi:

“I would like to start by thanking the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ organisation as well as St. Charles for offering me this unique opportunity to visit Poland and be a part of a significant and memorable project. Before accepting this offer, I was told many times that it would not only be a physically gruelling experience, regarding the walking and early flights, but most significantly an extremely emotionally challenging experience. This was not due to the fact that I would be learning about something new because this was naturally not the case as most are aware of the horrors that occurred during the holocaust, but rather the instant and gut-wrenching realisation that the millions of victims were people; people like myself and the others that were about to embark on this reflective journey.

The LFA did make it a very real and true experience right from the very beginning with the opening orientation seminar even before we made it into Poland, exploring how those who had lost their lives were normal individuals who co-existed alongside others. This was made evident to me once we reached a beautiful synagogue in Oświęcim that stood beside a grand Church. The Rabbi that joined us throughout the trip made it an eye opening and interactive experience and learning about how that very synagogue that we stood in was a place of worship and community for many in the town surrounding it until that sense of unity was destroyed violently leaving no one of the Jewish faith to keep the synagogue running was devastating to hear. I found this important to learn about especially considering the conflicts that’s occurring today in the world whilst keeping in mind that the co-existence of different religions and races is possible when greed and immorality is avoided. I think it’s important for many to study the atrocities that took place historically to learn from them and be far more aware if history seems to be repeating itself. It essentially teaches us to respect and live in cohesion amongst others.

Upon arriving at Auschwitz-Birkenau 1 it all became too real. From the gates that let us know exactly how the Nazis viewed the Jewish population as merely slave labour to the brick, cold buildings that housed the property of millions that lost their lives from human hair to suitcases and pots and pans of the many that were told a lie. The size of Auschwitz-Birkenau 2 was incomprehensible. The infamous tracks where innocent lives were determined by a recognised Nazi doctor whose supposed main purpose of his line of work was to care for others and protect them from harm shows that not all individuals are deserving of such power and influence. From witnessing the disgusting living conditions of those who were only kept alive as slaves we went over to the memorial site of those who were victims of the cruel Nazi scheme. This was truly a heart-warming memorial and I felt really privileged to be a part of it and this educational journey.”

Nazrul Chowdury:

 A journey through History: Reflecting on the experience of visiting Auschwitz.

“The Lessons from Auschwitz was truly a life changing experience for me. It opened my eyes to just how far human evil can go. The minute we arrived at Auschwitz I was reminded of the haunting fact that this was a chapter in humanity’s darkest hour. Visiting Auschwitz was an experience that really opened my eyes to this tragedy and was a journey through history honoured with a peaceful tribute to the millions who lost their lives.

When you walk through the gates of Auschwitz you look to the top of the entrance and see ‘Arbeit acht Frei’ which means ‘Work sets you free’. The minute we saw this, we felt an unimaginable level of dread sinking within us, due to us having the contextual knowledge of knowing that the victims within Auschwitz were worked to the point of near death or death.

The most horrifying moments of the Auschwitz visit was when we walked into the first building. Before you opened the doors, you heard recordings of children playing and then you walked into the rooms and all you see are images of all the various people; families, children that were subjected to the horrors of Auschwitz. This was the most horrifying experience because once you’ve walked out, Auschwitz is no longer a statistic and the reality of what happened there is stark. I left this camp with a deep looming feeling of dread inside me. As we continued along the cobblestones to the next building, that feeling of dread sunk in deeper. We visited a building where they had all the shoes the children had in the camp, along with other things like the hair room. Seeing these things in person, illustrated even more within my mind, that Auschwitz was not just a statistic, but the brutal and callous death of the innocent which truly made me sick to my stomach. The reason I say this is because seeing the children’s shoes really reminded me that at one point in my life, I was a child too, but I was fortunate enough to be born in a time where I don’t have to worry when the next time I can play with my friends. The second room we visited was no less harrowing, it was a room with hair collected from dead people on display. Words cannot describe what I felt inside seeing all of this and the realisation I had that this was all real.

However, in the darkness of Auschwitz, there are faint signs of hope which is through the survivors of Auschwitz. Their voices which reach far, resonate with perseverance, serve as a beacon of light within history’s darkest part of World War II. The stories of the people who survived show the beauty of human courage and the human spirit of persevering. And it also reminds us of the importance of surviving Auschwitz and remembering Auschwitz.

Visiting Auschwitz taught me the beauty of human perseverance. The reason I say this is because the people that were in Auschwitz never gave up until their last breath, the Rabbi that was there mentioned a man of the name of Viktor E. Franki. This man was a psychiatrist within the Auschwitz camp, knowing this information led me to read his work ‘Man’s searching for meaning’. Within his book he gives the perspective of a holocaust survivor and gives first-hand account of the atrocities that took place at the concentration camps. His experiences that he shares show a unique authentic look at life at these camps and Viktor explores human suffering and the perseverance of humans. Reading how most of these people at the concentration camps did not give up is enormously powerful and is also very inspiring. This is because Viktor’s book also displays resilience and hope. What he talks about is testament to the resilience of the human spirit the survivors had, despite living through horrors that are unimaginable. It also shows the beauty of faith, of how it brings people together, with faith being the reason for the small moments of meaning.

Visiting Auschwitz is not just as simple as an act of remembrance, it also challenges the people that visit to confront the horrors of prejudice and to speak out when seeing injustices to a specific group within the future, to ensure the lessons of history are never forgotten. In the words of Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” I felt privileged to have been selected to represent St. Charles on this programme, thank you.”

Jayden John Elahee:

My experience visiting Auschwitz

“When I journeyed to the camp, it could only be explained in the feelings. The camps I saw reminded me of how present the history of antisemitism was and how it still impacts the lives of people today. It is true to say that, walking past the possessions of the innocent prisoners was one of the most moving parts of the experience. I myself, struggle with my eyesight and have worn glasses for years, so seeing the pile of glasses (thousands in their number) behind the glass, made me feel overwhelmed. It, however, was not the only possession taken by the Nazis. The possessions ranged from shoes to luggage to pots and pans all displaying the names and initials of their owners, the majority of whom died at the camp. After viewing the items, we walked past the hanging sticks and the firing post where many Jews were executed publicly. This was not only done to scare the other prisoners but, to systematically break them down and feel a sense of hopelessness. This was an especially moving moment as it was not only the sight of them, but it was also the thought that it would not have been a rarity but a daily occurrence. Nearing the end of the visit, the group I was in entered one of the many chamber rooms where the Nazis used poisonous gas to kill the Jews. This was most definitely a moment that was unforgettable as one could only imagine the horror that occurred behind the barriers, and when leaving that thought weighed heavy on my own mind.

The Aftermath: The journey back was very solemn as well as the day after. The reflection on how people today can and must ensure events such as the Holocaust cannot reoccur. This, in my eyes, had to be done by calling out antisemitism in all its forms and by calling out extremism in its own forms. It is crucial that, we do not forget genocides, like the Holocaust, to make sure that this treatment can never happen to people again. Thank you to the LFA and St. Charles for providing me with this experience.”