*Pictures Below

Yesterday, May 6, Martin Löwenberg come to Plainwell High School to talk to students about his time in a concentration camp during World War 2.

“The holocaust survivor took us through a story that nobody should have to go through,“ said Aiden Parsons ‘22.

Löwenberg was originally scheduled to speak only in front of Lauren Ciecierski’s U.S. history class. The reason Ciecierski said was that she feels that “it is an important way to teach history. I learned at professional development that in teaching Holocaust to students, they can empathize with some of the stories.”

But after Ciecierski went to Principal Jeremy Wright, he and Assistant Principal Debra Beals turned it into an all-school assembly.

“All the Holocaust survivors are getting older; there’s not many left and we have to hear from the experiences of others…if we don’t learn from past we are doomed to repeat it,¨ said Wright.

And for Beals, she hopes “people will leave the presentation with a better understanding.¨

Students certainly listened to his message; the Performing Arts Center was quiet for an hour.

“For him to remember all the dates, with so much going on, that impressed me. He not only came in front of everyone and took time out of his day, he still talked about his past, and that is usually really traumatic for situations like his,” said Courtney Paddock ‘22.

And the students will remember this speaker for  “how terrible it was for him and everyone who was impacted. It goes to show how grateful we should be, seeing as we have it easier than almost everyone we learn about in history,” said Zane Finner ‘20.

“He did a little lesson on the word hate. He made a lot of points in his lecture. For example, the people are looked at, and the way people are treated for who they are. Jews were hated for no apparent reason, and this really hurt him,” said Paddock.

Time will tell if students are going to apply his message of tolerance and not hate.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Martin preaches a world of hope and love can conquer all.