Two descendants of Holocaust survivors, Fred Volkman and Shirley Mills, visited Sangaree Middle School in Ladson, S.C., this week to speak with eighth graders. As part of a Lowcountry school program, they shared personal family stories from the Holocaust, stressing its relevance for young people today. Volkman described his father’s survival of multiple concentration camps and a death march escape, while Mills recounted growing up among survivors in Israel and Cleveland, Ohio, witnessing tattoos and family losses firsthand.
Key Messages from Speakers
- Personal Stories Over Statistics: Volkman emphasized that individual accounts make the Holocaust’s six million victims feel real, rather than abstract numbers and dates. He noted students often lack a sense of historical timelines, so speakers provide context to bridge that gap.
- Intergenerational Impact: Mills highlighted lasting trauma she observed in her family, motivating her to educate youth as fewer direct survivors remain.
- Urgency of Education: Both urged passing on these narratives to prevent forgetting, with Mills simply stating, “Because it happened.”
This aligns with broader efforts in South Carolina to integrate Holocaust education into curricula, fostering empathy and historical awareness in communities like the Lowcountry. Events like this at Sangaree Middle build on local commitments to combat antisemitism and preserve memory.
What are your thoughts on this program, or do you know of similar initiatives in the Charleston area?
