Uplifting Holocaust Memorial Event at Grove Academy

Holocaust Survivor Ziggy Shipper with Grove
Pupil Holocaust Ambassadors

Last night I had the privilege of attending the Holocaust Memorial Event at Grove Academy. This combined a series of presentations by pupils and former pupils who had volunteered over the last three years to be Holocaust Ambassadors. As such they had visited the Auschwitz death camp in Poland. Subsequently, they shared their experience with groups of pupils at Grove. 

The evening combined presentations by these ambassadors about their experience of making the visit, what they had learned and how they had shared this with their fellow pupils. The presenters were confident and insightful about their life changing experience of making their visit to the death camp at Auschwitz. 

The evening ended with an inspiring testament from holocaust survivor, Ziggy Shipper from London. Now in his eighties, Ziggy, shared his vivid memories of his time, as a young boy in the Nazi concentrations camps. He finished with an impassioned plea to all the pupils to never feel hate in their own lives. He warned that if they did feel hate then they would be the one that suffers.

This was a very impressive night for the Grove pupils who performed, for the audience of parents and carers who appreciated the pupils' performances and also witnessed the riveting talk by Ziggy Shipper. It was also a night to celebrate the creativity of Grove teachers who had so ably facilitated their senior pupils involved.