Nancy Szabo Informs Junior High Students

On November 4, 30 seventh and eighth graders from a private school in Atlanta sat glued to their seats listening to their teacher, Andrea Sarvady, interview Nancy Szabo, one of the authors in our book. The students who were of mixed religious backgrounds had been studying about the Holocaust, preparing for their future performance of a play, “I Never Saw Another Butterfly’. Students' hands shot up like popcorn after the interview. Nancy was struck by the depth and sensitivity of the questions. “Looking back, when did you first see any signs of trauma in your father? Do you think our parents should let us know about painful events in their lives?” Nancy described to the class how she wished she had asked her father more questions about his experiences in Hungary when he was alive. She encouraged the students to explore the life stories of their parents and grandparents. This school event validated what the authors have heard Irene Butter, a Holocaust survivor, author and friend, say to us about the importance of sharing our perspective of the impact of the Holocaust trauma with the younger generation - that students as early as middle school age are not only ready and eager to learn  but can benefit from our intergenerational lens.