Moving talk by Holocaust survivor about standing up to hatred

The importance of battling against hate was highlighted by a moving talk at a Black Country school from a Holocaust survivor.

Mindu Hornick is pictured with Rachel Anechitei and Bushara Abdulla prior to the talk

Mindu Hornick was the guest of honour at Aldersley High School on Thursday as she spoke to more than 200 GCSE History students from years 10 and 11 about her life and experiences in Auschwitz.

The 93-year-old spoke for nearly an hour about her childhood, being forced to move into a forced labour battalion, being taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau, losing her mother and brothers and the relief she felt at being liberated.

Those in attendance were visibly moved by Mindu's story, which included graphic details of arriving in the concentration camp in Poland, with plenty of questions being asked in the Question and Answer session following the talk.

The theatre at Aldersley High School was full to capacity for the visit of Mindu Hornick

Her visit was part of the Holocaust Educational Trust’s extensive all year round Outreach Programme, which is available to schools across the UK, with Mindu saying it meant everything to be able to tell her story and continue to educate people.

She said: "It means everything to be here today as there's still a lot of terrible things going on in the world.

"It is very important to be at a school as you have to start somewhere and the best place to start is in schools with education and hope they can strive for a better world."

The 93-year-old gave a very moving account of her time in Auschwitz-Birkenau

Mindu said that like a lot of Holocaust survivors, she didn't speak about her experiences for years, but said that it was important to give personal testimony as it meant more that seeing it in film or on television.

She said: "When I first started giving talks, it was difficult, but I had to dig down deep and not live in the past and it was important to talk about that time.

"If those listening could go away with one, it would be to stand up to hatred and respect your neighbours without looking at colour, race or creed."

Among those attending the event was Year 11 History student Tommy Anslow, with the 16-year-old saying it was very exciting to meet Mindu and learn about an important period in history.

Mindu said she wanted to continue to educate around rejecting hatred

He said: "It's been really exciting to not only see a part of the history of what happened in the Holocaust and it's also been on my bucket list to meet a Holocaust survivor.

"It's important to keep spreading the message between generations to make sure that something like the Holocaust never happens again and we remember that it is about standing up to hatred."

Deputy Headteacher Mat Winzor spoke about the event, saying it was a great way to educate the students about a significant period in history.

He said: “It is a privilege for us to welcome Mindu Hornick to our school and her testimony will remain a powerful reminder of the horrors so many experienced.

"We are grateful to the Holocaust Educational Trust for co-ordinating the visit and we hope that by hearing Mindu’s testimony, it will encourage our students to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust and make a positive difference in their own lives.”