Holocaust Survivor Stresses Tolerance at North Mason High

Belfair - More than a dozen community members as well as a packed room of students at North Mason High listened quietly recently as Peter Metzelaar told his story of being hidden in The Netherlands, where he grew up, during World War II. Metzelaar was a Jewish boy who, as one of "the hidden," was protected by non-Jews and avoided being sent to a concentration camp.

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Miep Gies passes away at age 100

By ARTHUR MAX, Associated Press Writer

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – Miep Gies, the office secretary who defied the Nazi occupiers to hide Anne Frank and her family for two years and saved the teenager's diary, has died, the Anne Frank Museum said Tuesday. She was 100.

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Choose-Your-Own-Adventure: Student creates interactive biography of Oskar Schinder

Katie W. from Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, knew little about Oskar Schindler.

"Everyone has seen the movie, 'Schindler's List'," she explains, "but few people actually know much about this person. I wanted to create something that would get people involved and would show them that he had many options open to him. He had to make decisions each step of the way."

Katie's teacher at Charles Wright Academy, Nick Coddington, is credited with giving her the time and inspiration to create this project, which was entered in the National History Day Contest. Katie won the regional competition and placed 4th in the state.

Katie recently presented her work to teachers at the Holocaust Center's teacher training workshop in Tacoma last week. Her outstanding work, her dedication to this project, and her creativity greatly impressed everyone.

Katie created and designed the entire website herself by writing the html code. All of her facts have been checked and double-checked. She provides links to definitions and biographies and even includes short video clips to enhance the story and experience.

http://www.hemispheredm.com/~oskar/

Movie review: Into the Arms of Strangers

Although made in 2000, I just recently watched the film Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport. The Kindertransport refers to the rescue operation of 10,000 Jewish children in 1938-1939. These children that were facing Hitler's persecution were allowed to leave German-occupied territories and travel by train to Great Britain. There, they were placed in foster homes or hostels.

Into the Arms of Strangers interviews a few of these child survivors. They recount their memories of being separated from their parents and welcomed into a foreign country. Poignant moments are when the survivors recall the joy of knowing that non-Jewish peers would play with them, feeling love from their foster parents, or being reunited with their families. Of course, many of the parents who could not leave Germany perished in concentration camps and the film shows the sadness of the children who, only after years of separation, realized that they would never see their parents again.

Into the Arms of Strangers won a 2000 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and it is easy to understand why. The archival footage alone makes the film worth seeing. A free study guide to the film can be found at http://www.intothearmsofstrangers.com/studyguide. This DVD is available in the Holocaust Center's library.

-Lauren Bianchi, Office Manager & Speakers Bureau Coordinator