The middle and upper school student of NYI had the honor of having Marion Blumenthal Lazan speak at a special assembly today. Ms. Lazan shared the story in her memoir “Four Perfect Pebbles”. She spent 6 ½ years in the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany during World Word II.
When British and Canadian troops liberated the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, they found over 13,000 unburied bodies and around 60,000 inmates, most acutely sick and starving. During its existence, approximately 50,000 persons died in the camp complex including Anne Frank and her sister Margot. Both died in the camp in March 1945. Most of the victims were Jews.
Upon liberation by the Russian army, Marion and her family eventually came to the United States and settled in Peoria, Illinois. Ms. Lazan has chosen to share her story and has spoken about her personal Holocaust experience to students, teachers, adults, all over the country and the world.
One of our teachers, Ms. Jessica Hurley, read her memoir with her student’s, upon learning Ms. Lazan is a Long Island resident she contacted her about the possibility of speaking and sharing her story with NYISE. Ms. Lazan was presented with a Braille version of her book by Ms. Hurley during the assembly.
Today, Ms. Lazan shared her story with staff, and students, and requested that we never judge anyone based on religion, race, or ethnicity. Our students will be the very last generation that will hear the of the Holocaust first hand and it is her hope that by sharing her story that future generations will know about the Holocaust and never let history repeat itself.
Marion Blumenthal Lazan
- Biography PDF
- Four Perfect Pebbles | A Holocaust Story
- Marion Blumenthal Lazan: A Survivor’s Story
- Marion Blumenthal Lazan | Kidsreads
- Four Perfect Pebbles: A Holocaust Story (Amazon)
Bergen-Belsen