Canadian students and local residents remember Holocaust victims at talk given by survivor

On 27 January, Western University in Canada invited a Holocaust survivor in to speak on Remembrance Day.

Reny Fridman is a grandmother of a Western student and was brave enough to tell her story for students and residents to learn about the pain and she and others struggles faced at that time.

People gathered to witness perhaps one of the last live testimonies from a survivor of the Holocaust.

Katlyn, a University student who was asked why she finds it important to be there in support, said: “I find it important to attend events like this because you never know when it’s the last time you will hear from a holocaust survivor.

There were signs and pictures of some famous stories and people many of us grew up learning about. There were new stories and visuals of what people had to go through in those times.

Another student, Peter John, explained why it is important to be educated on such matters.

He said: “It’s important for everyone to be educated on the Holocaust because concentration camps are still present and we need to learn more about it so the Holocaust doesn’t repeat itself.”

Reny spoke about how she witnessed her aunt and cousin being taken away by the police. She said that she was taken away from her family and put into a safe Catholic private school, and explained how adapting back into society was hard for her and her family to deal with. 

The next time you get a chance to learn or hear live testimony from a survivor of the holocaust take the chance and listen, because this generation may be the last to witness a live testimony.