By Jack Lawler ’11, Humor Editor

On November 30th, Newark Academy’s Holocaust Studies class hosted an inspiring and touching presentation by Mrs. Elizabeth Wilf in the Black Box Theatre. Mrs. Wilf, the grandmother of three NA students, Steven, Daniel, and Rachel Wilf (Class of 2011, 2013, and 2016 respectively), shared her story of courage and survival during the Holocaust.

Mrs. Wilf was just a young girl when the Germans invaded her hometown of Lvov, Poland. From then on, her “education and childhood ended.” Because of her Jewish heritage, she and her family were targeted and forced to wear a Star of David patch on their clothing so that they could be identified.  Lvov was soon ghettoized, and it was only with help from a friend, who gave her mother fake papers, that Mrs. Wilf was able to escape the brutal conditions and “unspeakable horrors” of her time. Unfortunately, the papers were only satisfactory for Mrs. Wilf, her sister, and her mother. The living conditions at the time were harsh – when the family found refuge working on a farm, her father was forced to live underneath the barn floors for two years. After the war, Mrs. Wilf met her husband and they moved to the United States in 1950, where they were sponsored by a family in Alabama.

At the end of the presentation, Mrs. Wilf spoke about how thankful she was for all her family and everything she had.

When asked what students should take away from her talk, she explained how they should understand that “prejudice is wrong” and that it is essential to not “judge any person by their religious beliefs or skin color, but by their thoughts and actions.”

Humanities teacher and advisor to the Jewish Club, Mrs. Schottland believes that “it is very important for us to hear these speakers. Why? Because we have another five or ten years to verify through eyewitness accounts what really happened” during the Holocaust. She adds that “every one of the Holocaust speakers invited to Newark Academy has spoken about compassion, treating people without prejudice, and being open to each person, which is remarkable.”

Important to Mrs. Schottland, even if someone from that time did not go through a concentration camp, he or she is still a Holocaust survivor. She proudly states that “not only did Mrs. Wilf experience unspeakable things, but [her grandchildren themselves] are the victory over [hate].”

The story of Mrs. Elizabeth Wilf is one of courage and strength, of perseverance when the obstacles were stacked impossibly high. Her story inspired all those who attended and left them appreciating all that they have.