8th Graders attend Holocaust Survivor Presentation

Today, all D6 8th grade students were invited to the Union Colony Civic Center to listen to and learn from author, public speaker, and Hidden Child survivor of the Holocaust Sylvia Ruth Gutmann.

Gutmann was born in 1939 in Antwerp, Belgium, where her Jewish parents lived after fleeing Berlin, Germany. She lived as a Hidden Child in Europe until she escaped from Europe to New York City at seven years old to live with her uncle. Gutmann described seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time as seeing and feeling freedom.

Our 8th graders listened intently as Gutmann shared her heart-wrenching story of losing her parents to the Auschwitz concentration camp and the lifelong trauma she experienced from her family being ripped apart. She encouraged our students to love one another and to bravely share their stories. She also emphasized the importance of doing the right thing, even when it isn't popular. She credited a French woman, who did the right thing, for saving her life.

Gutmann's story is filled with both pain and redemption. We encourage you to read her book A Life Rebuilt: The Remarkable Transformation of a War Orphan.

We are thankful for the unique opportunity our middle school students had to learn from Sylvia Ruth Gutmann. Many thanks to Sylvia for sharing her story, and thank you to the Holocaust Memorial Observances of Greeley and Northern Colorado for hosting this event.