D-Day Remembered with Holocaust Survivor

On 6th June Peter Lantos visited President Kennedy School. Peter is a Holocaust survivor of Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. 

President Kennedy School has been fortunate enough to receive regular visits from Peter. On this visit, marked by the historical significance of the D-Day, Peter met with several students from Years 8, 9, 10, and 12. He spent the morning unveiling the new signs in the Holocaust memorial garden and speaking to students about what happened to him during the Holocaust. 

Some of our Year 8 students then read poems written for Peter to mark the importance of remembrance. Year 10 students then visited the garden and asked Peter some moving questions. 
Peter spent the next part of the day working with students involved in an 'Echo Eternal' performance last year. The performance was an artistic retelling of Peter’s testimony through shadow work and puppeteering. 
The students showed Peter their film and then presented him with their experiences of working on the project. 

For the final part of the day, Peter met with some students for a discussion on his books. Year 8 students asked Peter about his book ‘The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die’ and Year 12 students asked him about ‘Parallel Lines.’ 
The questions students asked were deeply thought-provoking and they learned a lot about the importance of peace and reconciliation from Peter’s responses. 

Students gifted Peter a book of the poems and speeches they had read through on the day as a thank you for all of the time he has devoted to President Kennedy School. 

It was a fantastic day for everyone involved, and we look forward to welcoming Peter back in July when he speaks at our Post-16 Ethics Conference.
Mrs Rejali, Teacher of Religious Education and Leader of Personal Development in Post-16