“Extremely moving” Holocaust experience for South Yorkshire students

Eva Clarke, 73, was born in Mauthausen concentration camp to Anka Bergman, who herself weighed just a fragile five stone and used newspaper to warm her newborn daughter.

Swinton Academy students paid their respects to victims of genocide around the world during a visit to the National Holocaust Centre and Museum in Nottinghamshire.

Their trip was to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2019.

They heard about genocides around the world - including those in Rwanda and South Sudan - before taking a tour around the museum, which documents life under the Nazi regime for the Jews and other persecuted minorities.

A video chat with 73-year-old Eva, who was born just 24 hours before Adolf Hitler committed suicide, revealed how 15 members of Eva’s immediate family, including her father, were killed in Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Eva now spends her time educating others about her experiences.

Teacher Lindsay Rosser, who organised the visit, said: “Eva spoke very openly about the Holocaust. It was extremely moving.

“Students learned about how the roots of genocide stem from intolerance, hatred, prejudice and discrimination and that we should work together to create a world of peace where everyone is respected.

“This is an important message for all in the diverse world we live in today and echoes the commitment to British values which Swinton Academy proudly holds.”

Students also visited the centre’s Memorial Garden, which has a memorial of stones representing all the children who died in the Holocaust.

Swinton Academy pupils were encouraged to place a stone in the garden to honour those youngsters who perished during the war.

Special assemblies were held by teacher Suzanne Naylor in school, for the Holocaust Memorial Day.

Ms Rosser added: “It was an informative and enjoyable, yet sombre, day for our students. They all represented Swinton Academy superbly.”