Holocaust survivor speaks at SSHL

“Today was a day of learning”

Holocaust survivor Tobias Rawet recently spoke to 7-9 graders during a Wednesday assembly at SSHL.

“I got to live!” he told the audience numerous times during his talk and the silence in the auditorium was overwhelming.

Tobias Rawet, welcomed to SSHL by the students in Grade 8, spoke candidly about his life in Poland during the Holocaust.

Born in Lodz, Poland, in February 1936, Rawet was sent to the Lodz Ghetto in 1940. In 1942, all children under the age of 10 were sent to Chelmno to be gassed.

A regular speaker about his experiences during World War II, Rawet shared with the students some of the horrific circumstances he endured until 1945 when he was liberated from a concentration camp by the Russian army.

A part of his family survived and lived in Poland under the Communist occupation until 1948 when they escaped to Sweden, where he still lives. He became an engineer, married, and today has 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

After the assembly, Rawet took part in classes with both 7th and 8th graders, as well as German class 9.

“The students were touched by his visit and Rawet’s message of peace and openness,” said Christina Peters, German teacher. “He warned us that history seems to be repeating itself and this struck a chord with students.”

Some of the 7E reflections:

“On Thursday, March 30 Tobias Rawet came to our school and talked about how he survived the concentration camp and how tough he had it. He is 81 years old but was only four years old when he was taken into the ghetto. He has had a very rough life.

It was really interesting and surprising to hear about what they had to do to survive but it was also really sad. I knew it was tough to live then in Poland but not that it was that bad. It was really nice to meet him and when you meet someone that has gone through all of that you really have a lot of respect for him. I wish they could teach students more about that these days so they could learn from it and really think of not treating people differently depending on their skin colour or their religion.
However, I am also glad that he is alive even though he has gone through all of that.” (Anneli)

“Yesterday when I met Tobias Rawet and he told his story I realized that the World War Two was so much more than we have talked about in school. Before I met him I thought that you just came to a camp and when you got too tired to work you were gassed to death; simple and not respectful at all whatsoever. The Nazis separated women from men, old, sick people or children under ten years old from the people who could work. Children younger than ten weren’t allowed to work so they were brought away in trucks to get killed which was the same for old and sick people. One of those children was Tobias Rawet but his parents were clever and gave him a new ‘personality’ where he was born in 1932 instead of 1936, which made him just about ten years old. Deep down inside I also felt sadness and anger bubbling up. I just don’t understand why people were like that; discriminating Jews and killing them because people thought that they weren’t human. The Nazis labelled Jews in different categories.” (Marieke)

“Tobias Rawet visited our school (SSHL) on March 29, 2017. To be honest I was very excited for his speech and his personal visit and it was up to my expectations, it was all very sad and emotional.” (Farwa)

Some thoughts and reflections even from 8F:
“Yesterday, when Tobias Rawet came to school to talk about the Holocaust was really good. I learned a lot and I learned about how it was in the Ghetto and the Death camps. Yesterday was a day of learning. And Tobias´ story was really emotional about was he has been through. It is unbelievable.“ (?)

Today alive, tomorrow dead
All our decisions, this have lead
To millions of deaths, the mistakes
Have made, yesterday is history
The ashes left of a corpse
The only left is memories

“This unit made med think of how valuable a human life can be, how hate can´t be cured with violation. The power and helplessness of a single human individual. How thrust can play such a role. How life gets offered to death. That a Holocaust survivor lives today, to tell about not to repeat history, but we humans don’t learn. History is repeating today, just at another place. Don’t turn your back towards it. …I can only look in my history book and remember the big numbers…The only thing I can say is: I’m sorry.” (Amanda)

“He lived his life in terror and somehow he manages to contain it inside of him without showing any sign of fear, hate or disrespect. I feel amazed by how this one man has been able to continue to live his life after the Nazis teased it apart. I get teased apart by smaller events but he has somehow shielded himself from this past and his memories.” (Filippa)

“When I saw Tobias standing on the stage in the Aula I thought, it wasn’t him, the Holocaust survivor. He looked so healthy and full of energy. When he started to talk about his early years in life and the depressing and hateful time that he lived in, my picture of Tobias changed. Now I saw a very brave man, an amazing fighter who had done everything he could to survive. I saw this outstanding man and I was very happy to meet him.” (Wilhelm)

“I am glad I wasn’t born in that time. If I never met Tobias, I will never know how painful it is. I hope we will never have that kind of happening again.” (Aaron)