Papa and I spoke to over 200 fifth graders at Westchester Elementary School in Coral Springs, Florida. We were amazed at the maturity of these ten- and eleven-year-olds who were very respectful when Papa spoke for a half hour about his life in the camps. When he was done and we asked if anyone had any questions, many arms shot up, waving eagerly to be picked. Their questions ranged from: “Why didn’t you go to the police when the nazis came?” to “How did you escape?” to “Why did your wife kill herself?” Their teachers had prepped them well. Papa was moved to tears several times as he told stories about his life before, during and after the war. When the talk and Q & A were over, the students ran up to Papa to give him a hug, eager to have their pictures taken with him.
A week and a half later Papa received a huge package in the mail -- almost 200 thank you letters from the fifth graders. He called me on the phone to share the news.
“We’ve done something very special,” Papa said, referring to us writing The Book. And as he read me a few of the letters, I could hear the smile in his voice and knew he was right.
“We’ve done something very special,” Papa said, referring to us writing The Book. And as he read me a few of the letters, I could hear the smile in his voice and knew he was right.
