Mia Morneault

Pointing towards the screen, guest speaker Lauren Fryer begins to explains the meaning of the word “antisemistism”. Antisemitism is one of the leading causes towards the Holocaust, and affects the lives of millions to this day. “I still care so much about education and I was aware of the Texas Holocaust Genocide and Antisemitary Advisory Commission through a friend, and thought that that really kind of related really well to me, as someone who cares about the rights of others and cares about education,” Fryer said. 

It’s been nearly 80 years since the Holocaust came to an end. Holocaust Remembrance Week focuses on remembering the six million people who were lost all those years ago. To honor these victims, learn about their stories and understand the history of the horrific period, the Social Studies department hosted guest experts to speak with students.

The Holocaust is one of the most prominent genocides of all time. Many Jewish and Polish citizens were taken away from their homes, taken away from their families and murdered by the Nazi Party. While there has been discussion and doubt the existence of the Holocaust, AP U.S. History teacher Andie Anderson said it is important for us to learn about these important historical events.

“[What matters is] the importance of not scapegoating an entire group of people just because it’s easy or convenient, or because we want simple solutions to problems,” Anderson said. “[It’s] the importance of making our own decisions and realizing that our decisions impact others. Whether we choose not to act in the face of injustice, or if we choose to act in small ways or in very large ones, learning those lessons and seeing how those things impact the world around us make us realize that we do have an impact.”

In order to help the student body fully realize the importance of the Holocaust, Anderson reached out to the Texas Holocaust Genocide and Antisemitism Advisory Commission to bring in a guest speaker and former teacher, Lauren Fryer.

“I still care so much about education and I was aware of the Texas Holocaust Genocide and Antisemitary Advisory Commission through a friend, and thought that that really kind of related really well to me, as someone who cares about the rights of others and cares about education,” Fryer said. 

With Holocaust denial becoming more prevalent, Anderson finds it even more important to expand upon our knowledge of the Holocaust and learn from it further.

“When we don’t say or do things or when we allow things to happen, it has a ripple effect,” Anderson said. “That is something that can be taught in a million different ways. But sometimes, the larger lessons are the ones that drive that education. Is it important to keep learning about the things that happened, and it’s going to continue being important to learn about.”