Teens Become Guardians of Holocaust Survivors' Stories

When Holocaust survivors realized they wouldn't be around forever to share their stories, they found an answer: train young guardians to carry their voices forward.

Eleven sixth form students at Wellington School in Altrincham are now part of My Voice, a program run by Jewish charity The Fed. Each teen has been paired with a Holocaust survivor for one-on-one conversations, learning their personal histories in intimate detail.

Dylan McDonald, 18, spent time with Danny Herman, who escaped the Nazis and reached England just days before war broke out. "It's a big responsibility but worth it because they are such important stories," Dylan says. "As we get older there won't be as many survivors left."

Emilia Howarth, 18, studied Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines, who escaped on the last Kindertransport train with her sister. Milena later became involved with the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and earned an MBE for services to music. "It's amazing how she took her experiences and turned them into something so successful," Emilia says.

Joe Shields, 17, met Anne Super, whose mother pushed her through a hedge into a stranger's arms when Germans marched their family from home in 1941. Anne never saw her parents again but survived as a hidden child. "How optimistic she was was really lovely to see," Joe says.

Why This Inspires

The timing matters. Ike Alterman, described as a giant of Jewish history, died just seven weeks ago at 97. Marianne Philipps is about to turn 102. These survivors know their window is closing.

But what makes this program special isn't just the history lesson. Joe was struck by how someone smuggled Anne bread on a train roof, how a stranger risked everything to help. "It makes you realize no matter all the hardships there is always someone to rely on," he says.

Emilia sees another lesson in these stories. "It's very easy to lose sight of the people in the figures of the Holocaust," she says. When classmates repeat misinformation or praise Hitler's leadership, she now has evidence to counter it with real human faces.

The survivors themselves chose hope over bitterness. Anne Super "doesn't hold grudges, which is a good lesson," Joe notes. These teens are learning that trauma doesn't have to define a life.

Now these eleven young people will carry forward stories of hiding on train roofs, fleeing on rescue trains, and rebuilding lives after unimaginable loss, ensuring the next generation hears them too.