Holocaust Memorial Day Reflection and Testimony

Members of the school community were invited to meet today to hear from 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Hedi Argent MBE, over live stream. It was an invaluable opportunity to hear a first-hand testimony and to reflect on the importance, then as now, of tolerance, acceptance and kindness, one of our Hazlegrove values.

The pupils who came were absolutely brilliant and so engrossed in Hedi’s story. Midway through her talk she invited us to think about what it was like for her and other refugees, able to take only one small suitcase of belongings, about the size of cabin luggage. She invited us to look at our homes and to think about what we would choose to take in our suitcases. Then to look around the rest of our rooms and our belongings and think about everything and everyone we would have to leave behind.

Hedi’s story emphasised the impact that an act of kindness could have and how the most courageous act is to stand up to what is wrong, even as small as to choose to play with a child excluded from everyone else’s games just because of who they are. Her friend Gertie, who chose to play with her and be her friend, in an anti-Semitic Austria, is the bravest person Hedi has ever known.

The link to the talk is available here:

The National Holocaust Centre and Museum - YouTube