A Holocaust survivor who was orphaned as a child in a concentration camp has shared her story with pupils of Lewis School Pengam.
In a visit to the school arranged by the Holocaust Educational Trust, Joanna Millan spoke of how persecution during the Second World War affected her Jewish family, and how it changed her life forever.
Pupils heard how Joanna was born Bela Rosenthal in August 1942 in Berlin.
At the end of February 1943, Bela’s father was taken from the streets of Berlin and sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau where he was murdered on arrival. Later that year, in June, Bela and her mother were taken from their home and sent to the Terezín (Theresienstadt) Ghetto north of Prague.
In 1944, when Bela was 18-months-old, her mother contracted tuberculosis due to the conditions in the camp, leaving Bela orphaned and alone.
Joanna spoke of how help from adults within the camp saved her and other children’s lives before the camp was liberated by the Red Cross on May 3, 1945.
Pupils were told how Joanna settled in Britain following the war with a new life and identity, however she has not forgotten her past and spent many years of her adult life tracing her family history and sharing her experiences during the Holocaust.
Headteacher Chris Parry, said: “It was a privilege for us to welcome Joanna Millan 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 Joanna’s testimony, it will encourage our students to learn from the lessons of the Holocaust and make a positive difference in their own lives.”
Karen Pollock MBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust added: “Joanna’s story is one of tremendous courage during horrific circumstances and by hearing her testimony, students will have the opportunity to learn where prejudice and racism can ultimately lead.
“At the Trust, we impart the history of the Holocaust to young people, to ensure that we honour the memory of those whose lives were lost and take forward the lessons taught by those who survived.”
We must never forget what happened. I remember when my daughter was doing her GCSE history about this topic and I took her to Auschwitz-Birkenau to see for herself where, and what happened there. A very very moving experience it was. I asked my daughter what she had learned afterwards. She said to me “the inhumanity to humans by other humans”. I hope the students from Lewis school learned much from this lady with her experience.