The whole auditorium erupted with applause as Holocaust survivor Charles Stein was introduced to the students and staff of AHS. Stein, who is about 90 years old, sat down on stage with his water bottle next to him and began to tell his story of survival.
The auditorium listened attentively through Stein’s 80 minute recollection of his struggles in Austria, escape from the Nazis and journey to the United States. Almost everyone held their breath to find out what happened next for the entirety of Stein’s story. Although it was apparent that the end was not going to be completely horrific (as Stein had obviously survived), some students were really moved by the events throughout the story.
Senior Salma Omer said, “The speaker almost made me relive the holocaust in every way he could. He made me aware of the cruelty that was going on during World War One.” She was not the only one who felt so strongly about the presentation. As the people in the auditorium filed out at the end, much chatter about how shocking Stein’s experience was could be heard from both students and teachers.
Stein continued by going into how he became an American soldier and soon found out his parents had been murdered in gas chambers by the Nazis. He mentioned the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. often, and encouraged everyone to visit it some time. He finished his monologue with the quote: “Speak Up. Do not let it happen again.”
The crowd gave a tremendous round of applause. “[Stein] is very brave for all the decisions he made trying to escape the Nazis and for having the courage and emotional strength to speak about his parents’ death in front of so many people,” said Omer.
Sophomore Omar Barakat said, “I feel bad for all the students who did not get to hear Mr. Stein’s incredible story because I think a lot of them would benefit from hearing his struggles. They would realize that compared to what he faced as a child, they were living the good life.” Without a doubt, Stein had a very unbelievable and powerful experience to share with all of AHS.
