It is not every day that an auditorium filled with students hangs on every word that an 88 year-old has to say, but on Nov. 3, over 750 students arrived at the auditorium to hear Holocaust survivor Suzanna Schneider tell her story. Sharing the stage was Stephen Poynor, the Director of Education at the Holocaust Memorial Resource & Education Center of Florida. Poynor gave a presentation about the historical context surrounding the Holocaust, before Schneider described the experience of herself and her family. 

“I was looking forward to it, because I know this is a once in a lifetime experience,” senior Ava Preciado said. “I just feel eternally grateful to be here and hear her speak.” 

The second week of November marks 87 years since Kristallnacht, an antisemitic riot that marked a turning point in the Nazi regime, and is now remembered by Holocaust education week, which this event is in honor of. The school has hosted other events in the past, but never to this extent. Holocaust studies teacher Megan Thompson wanted to do something impactful for the students, so she got in contact with Poynor, who was looking for a school willing to host. 

“It’s really important that we continue bringing it to the forefront of people’s minds and making it not a history they can ignore,” Thompson said. “If somebody’s in front of you telling you about their experiences, it’s harder to deny.”

Marti Ladd is a curriculum and instructional specialist in high school social studies. Her role was to find a way for other schools to participate in the event. The event was streamed for other schools to watch in class, as Hagerty school in the county that hosted. 

“The message of witnesses to the Holocaust is so powerful and transformative,” Ladd said. “The chance to offer that is uniquely wonderful. I mean, a lot of the stuff that I do, like run[ning] the academic tournament [is] fun, but I think that a lot of students will remember this even when they’re the same age as Miss Schneider.”

The organizers of this event intended to educate students in an engaging way, especially in an age where 47% of Gen Z and Millennials in Florida reportedly could not name a single concentration camp and 13% surveyed in the same study believed Jewish people caused the Holocaust. 

For the majority of the event, students listened to Schneider recount the story of her life from her childhood in Poland, how she was with her parents during the Holocaust and moved to several countries eventually becoming a language teacher in the United States. 

“I really want them to take away [Schneider’s] message of respect and her testimony that it’s really love from other people that helps you survive things that would be otherwise unimaginable, and, not to forget, the ordinary people who took extraordinary risks to make their lives possible,” Ladd said.

After the event, many students waited their turn to speak with Schneider individually and take photos. 

“[It] made me so happy that they thought of her as a celebrity, especially in this age of social media. Everybody values these people that they don’t really know, but they saw value in an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor, and they wanted to put her on their Instagram,” Thompson said. “And then other kids got to see it and be like, ‘Oh my gosh. Like, how was it?’ And then [students] got the opportunity to process what they learned as well and educate other people.”

Teachers from all subjects, including science and math, gave up their third period to take their class to the event. Students in these classes were required to fill out a permission ahead of time to attend as well. 

“I’ve never seen a group of young people that have been so receptive and attentive,” Ladd said. “The conduct of the students at Hagerty High School spoke volumes for our district. [Poynor] said there are other local schools who have hosted [Schneider] before, and this was by far the best response from an audience of young people that he’s ever seen.”

While other schools were able to watch it on a livestream, only Hagerty students attended the event in person, where they had the opportunity to speak with Schneider and ask questions. 

“[It was] very touching,” Preciado said. “When you’re in person and you actually see their movements and their tone and they’re right in front of you. It’s such a different feel and it’s amazing to see.”