Educators commonly recommend that youngsters first read The Diary of Anne Frank during their teenage years. The subject matter may be too troubling for younger kids, although that varies by maturity level. A teenager who becomes interested in learning more details of this disturbing time in history may want to peruse a Holocaust remembrance website connected with one of the remaining survivors.
Relevant Statistics
Although about 400,000 survivors are still living, the youngest are in their 70s. The New York City area is home to about 40,000 of them, with thousands of others reside in other parts of the United States. More than 100,000 live in Israel.
The world will lose a large number of these men and women in the next two decades. Now is an ideal time to hear the story from a survivor as it continues to be told at a Holocaust remembrance site.
Age Considerations
The youngest survivors were born in concentration camps or were taken there as little children. Men and women in their 90s would have been imprisoned in the camps as teenagers or young adults. Some of these individuals have been inspired to tell their stories through books, speaking engagements or other means. They want to make sure the world’s population never forgets what happened, no matter how many years go by.
Learning More
High school and college students might be interested in writing a report or term paper on a particular aspect of the Holocaust, including information provided in personal accounts. The ZACHOR Foundation offers this type of detail at www.zachorfoundation.org.
