On 30th October 2018, senior pupils Chloe McLaughlin (5M) and Matthew Sinclair (6L) joined 200 young people from central Scotland in a History lesson they will never forget. The pupils embarked on an emotional pilgrimage to the infamous Nazi death camps in Auschwitz, Poland as part of the ‘Lessons from Auschwitz’ project led by the Holocaust Educational Trust. They were accompanied on their visit by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Prior to their visit, Chloe and Matthew took part in an Orientation Seminar to hear the incredible story of a Holocaust survivor first-hand. Eva Clarke shared the story of her mother, an inmate and survivor of the Nazi death camps and of her own story of fate and good fortune to have been one of only a few babies to survive being born in an extermination camp. The heart-touching story evoked an emotional response from the audience and added a personal perspective to the events and atrocities of the Holocaust the pupils had previously studied from textbooks, films and photographs. On arriving in Poland, Chloe and Matthew explored the camps and prison cells at Auschwitz I which have now been dedicated to a museum housing evidence of the atrocities. The visit inside the gas chamber and the nearby crematorium, offered a chance to reflect on the terror felt by the inmates who met their untimely and inhumane end in the “showers of death”. The exhibits merely touche upon the scale of the mass murder experienced by the inmates in Auschwitz alone, not to mention the other Nazi death camps elsewhere in Poland. The tour continued in the afternoon to Auschwitz- Birkenau II. The sight alone of the railway tracks leading into “the gates of hell” sparked an emotional response from many students. Chloe and Matthew walked along the infamous railway tracks which brought many innocent men, women and children to their fate. The day ended with a moment of reflection with a short service of memorial and a candle lighting ceremony led by Rabbi Daniel Epstein in memory of the dead. Chloe and Matthew agreed that this was an appropriate and touching end to their visit. Reflecting on her visit, Chloe commented “The trip to Auschwitz has been an unforgettable experience. I believe it is extremely important that we never forget the horrifying and unimaginable torture that innocent people endured. ‘Seeing is not like hearing’ is a very true statement. Being able to see and walk around the camps has changed the way I view the Holocaust. We must remember each victim and survivor as an individual and not lose their identity as just a fact and statistic of the past.” Matthew mirrored the views of Chloe and remarked “I am privileged to have had the chance to witness first-hand the horrors of the Holocaust. The atmosphere is Auschwitz is indescribable. There is a feeling of calm and serenity in a place where so much terror and hatred was previously bestowed upon the camps innocent victims. My involvement in this project has had a lasting impression on me Chloe and Matthew will now work in school as Ambassadors for the Holocaust Educational Trust and will complete a Next Steps Project in which they will pass on the lessons they have learned from their involvement in the programme. This will include a presentation and lesson delivered to lower school pupils focussing on the theme of prejudice, racism and tolerance. The experience is sure to be one lesson from history that Chloe and Matthew will never forget.
