Holocaust survivor speaks to high school students

Yesterday, Lampeter-Strasburg High School students and eighth graders had the privilege of hearing guest speaker, Marion Blumenthal Lazan, discussed her experiences during the Holocaust.

Marion Blumenthal Lazan speaking to grades eight through 12 in the LSHS PAC.

As a child, she was moved to different places, including the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. She was separated from her father and brother, so her mother was her main source of strength. Lazan explained how difficult life was in the concentration camps and how she survived. She also stressed the importance of remembering the Holocaust.

Highlights from Guest Speaker Marion Blumenthal Lazan: Holocaust Survivor Assembly

One of the ways Lazan coped with the harsh conditions in the camps was by playing a game, which was the inspiration for the title of her book, Four Perfect Pebbles. To feel a sense of safety, she would look for four pebbles of similar shape and size. If she could find all four, she believed it meant that all four members of her family would survive. She, her mother, and her brother survived the Holocaust, but her father died shortly after their concentration camp was liberated. Now, she travels to different places to tell her story.

Lazan's book, Four Perfect Pebbles. 

Lazan said that the key to surviving was holding onto hope that, one day, things would be better. Maintaining a positive outlook, even in the darkest of times, kept her going. She believes that she would not have survived if she had given up on any hope of a better future.

Eventually, she was able to find that future in the United States. She worked diligently to learn English and graduated from high school eighth in her class. Her optimism and hard work enabled her to overcome her difficult circumstances.

The main messages that Lazan wished to impart were the idea that people should be kind to each other and celebrate their differences and the fact that the Holocaust was a real, horrible part of history.

Lazan spoke to a standing room only PAC as students in grades eight through 12 listened to the Holocaust survivor.

She also highlighted the fact that, as the last generation that will be able to hear first hand accounts of what happened, it is our responsibility to remember these stories and pass them on to our children and, eventually, our grandchildren. Since we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to hear her story, we should share it with people who might not know it. The most important thing, Lazan explained, is to remember the Holocaust to ensure that it never happens again.

We can also help prevent a terrible event like that by accepting others’ differences and making sure that we treat others with kindness and respect.

Click here for more information about Lazan's book, Four Perfect Pebbles: A True Story of the Holocaust.

--Sarah Goldberg, LS News Reporter
Edited: AZ