Year 5 and 6 children from Bromley schools were invited to attend sessions at Orpington and Bromley Central libraries where they were given a general introduction to the topic with a background of historical facts.
Bringing the past to life, Jackie, a retired Bromley librarian, told the children about her family’s experience of the Holocaust which was heart-breaking to hear. Her Jewish father had left his native Poland with his mother at the age of 11, just before the start of the war. Although it was reassuring to hear that they had found sanctuary in the UK, it was also tragic to learn that Jackie’s grandfather and uncle had perished.
Her talk was illustrated with pictures of places and people related to her story and ended on a positive note as she described how her father had gone on to run a Jewish bakery in Southend. Children were given the opportunity to ask questions afterwards.
“I was very pleased to be invited to share my story,” Jackie explains. “I’m doing it to honour my father and his mother. At times, it can be difficult to talk about what happened - when I told the children about how I went to the seaside town in Poland, some years ago, where my father was born and spent the first eleven years of his life, I did get rather "choked up". It is important, though, that young people learn about the Holocaust, to try to ensure it never happens again.”
For the final section of the workshop, Children’s Librarian Jenny Hawke read the picture book, ‘Erika’s Story’, by Ruth Vander Zee, magnificently illustrated by Roberto Innocenti. This tells the true story of a baby being thrown from a train by her desperate, Jewish mother when she realises they are heading towards a concentration camp.
Concluding the session, children discussed the book and took part in questions and answers about the subject in general with Children’s Librarian Caroline Nolan.
Colleague Edgardo Zaghini comments, “These sessions reinforce the importance of highlighting and promoting Holocaust Memorial Day in libraries and schools every year to ensure young people are aware of the crimes and injustice committed towards Jewish people in the past. Hopefully, a new generation of children will grow up with a better understanding of human relations and combat prejudice and racism in general.”
Bromley libraries are run by charitable social enterprise GLL under the ‘Better’ brand. Supporting the wellbeing of local communities is an important part of the organisation’s ethos.