Grade 6 students and faculty welcomed a very special guest on Wednesday: child Holocaust survivor Leon Celemencki. Students were riveted by Mr. Celemencki’s stirring account of his childhood during the Shoah, which was punctuated by the loss of his mother and aunts who perished in concentration camps, being separated from his father and siblings and being adopted as a baby by a Catholic couple who saved his life. The survivor – who waited 70 years before speaking about his experiences – encouraged the students to be proud of their Judaism and to stand strong in the face of Antisemitism. Following his address, Mr. Celemencki was surrounded by students eager to shake his hand and embrace him with gratitude. Thank you to Morah Devorah Abenhaim for inviting this hero!
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