Photo by: Larry Sorcher, USAG VI
Louise Lawrence-Israels, survivor of the Holocaust, spoke about living through the Holocaust as a young child.
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Childhood in Hiding
Many of us know the atrocity of the 20th century from a little girl's depiction of her experiences hiding out in a small attic in the Netherlands. Some of us may know retired military personnel whose experiences of World War II included witnessing first-hand the result of Hitler's Final Solution.
In remembrance of the Holocaust, the Holocaust Memorial Museum provided an emotional and educational display at the Community Activities Center, April 26.
The guest speaker present at this event was Louise Lawrence-Israels, survivor of the Holocaust. Lawrence-Israels spent several years in hiding with her family in an Amsterdam row house. Louise's parents tried to give the children a "normal" childhood in hiding: playing and learning colors, letters and songs. Lawrence-Israels recalled, when the air raid alarms sounded, the family took refuge on the steep staircase, the strongest and safest part of their house.
"Their passion, professionalism and pragmatism epitomize a sense of duty and volunteerism to our Fort Detrick Community," said the Equal Opportunity Office about the contributors from the Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The Holocaust Memorial Museum's primary mission is to advance and disseminate knowledge about this unprecedented tragedy; to preserve the memory of those who suffered; and to encourage its visitors to reflect upon the moral and spiritual questions raised by the events of the Holocaust as well as their own responsibilities as citizens of a democracy.
Editor's note: The EEO office would like to thank all who contributed to the event, especially Charlotte Christian and Rita Walker from the museum.