By Sara Widmann ’15, Staff Writer

On Tuesday, April 24^th, in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sarah Ludwig, a Livingston resident and Holocaust survivor, came to speak at Newark Academy. Mrs. Ludwig imparted her personal story to an attentive crowd in the Black Box during 5^th period. When the period began, she warmly greeted the guests, who ranged from 6^th graders to 12^th graders and faculty members. It did not matter one’s age; everyone wanted to hear her story.

Mrs. Ludwig stood at the lectern and explained that because she was only two years old when the Nazis invaded her hometown in Poland; she did not remember much of the Holocaust. She relied on her parents’ stories to understand her own brief memories. Her parents’ determination to keep their only child alive was what led to her being smuggled on the back of a truck in a potato sack into a labor camp. Her parents taught her to hide when a Nazi soldier’s boots approached; and also managed to hide and feed her in a labor camp while they themselves were starving. Both she and her parents survived and were eventually liberated.

Adina Gitomer, a freshmen and previous student of Mrs. Ludwig stated afterwards, “It was really interesting to hear her speak because it was a completely new perspective on the war, considering she was only two-years-old during that time.” Due to Mrs. Ludwig’s young age during the Holocaust she didn’t remember much so she retold the story of her parents. Since they were no longer alive she felt it was her duty to keep their story from being forgotten. Throughout the entire presentation, she stressed the need of remembrance and passing on the message of the Holocaust.

Amy Schottland, a Humanities teacher, said, “What made her visit so special was that she was an elementary school teacher of our own students.” Mrs. Ludwig was a teacher for many years at a small Jewish school in Randolph, The Hebrew Academy of Morris County. She was able to reunite with some of her past students.

Hearing from Mrs. Ludwig, a woman in her early seventies who is among the youngest Holocaust survivors, is a reminder that this is the last generation that will be able to receive firsthand testimonies. Most survivors that were adults during the war are now in there 80s or 90s or have passed away. Clearly, one of the best ways to honor the memory of the victims is to continue to listen to the survivors who still have the power to tell their stories.