Teacher Carries Holocaust Survivor's Story to Students

When Abe Piasek passed away in 2020, he left behind more than memories. He left a mission with his friend Steve Goldberg to keep telling his "really long story" of survival.

Now Goldberg stands before packed middle school libraries across North Carolina, sharing how Piasek survived three labor camps and Auschwitz after being torn from his family at just 13 years old. The two men met years ago when Piasek spoke at Research Triangle High School, where Goldberg taught history.

"This guy is amazing, joyful in a way I hope I can be when I get to 80, 90 years old," Goldberg remembered thinking. That admiration sparked multiple visits, detailed interviews, and eventually a deep friendship.

Goldberg admits he thought he understood the Holocaust before meeting Piasek. "In interviewing him, I realized how little I knew," he said.

At Chestnut Grove Middle School in King, North Carolina, over 100 eighth graders recently learned about Piasek's journey from Polish teenager to liberated survivor to loving husband and father in America. They saw videos of Piasek's warm smile and heard about both his remarkable optimism and his painful nightmares.

Eighth grader Evan Gaither noticed something powerful in the presentation. "It was interesting to see how happy he was. You would be like, 'He's really happy for what he went through,'" he said.

History teacher Andrew Voss invited Goldberg after seeing his story online. He believes students need diverse perspectives to understand their own lives better.

Why This Inspires

Goldberg's work shows how one person's courage can echo across generations. Piasek didn't just survive trauma. He chose to share it, turning his pain into lessons about standing up instead of standing by.

The friendship between these two men created something that death couldn't end. Every time Goldberg speaks, Piasek's voice reaches new ears and new hearts.

Students leave these presentations with more than history facts. They carry forward what Goldberg calls the challenge to be an "upstander" in their own really long stories.

Goldberg's message is simple but profound: "Courage is contagious. Kindness is contagious."