Cecilea Heisner, grandmother of Ms. Shana Jadwin, school counselor, came to HHS on May 4 to share her story of surviving the Holocaust with two Modern US History classes.

Heisner recounted her experiences during World War II, speaking about her three and a half years in a concentration camp. Miraculously, Heisner told the class, all members of her immediate family survived.

“I am so honored she was able to come here and share her story. I’ve heard her stories many times, but I always learn something new from hearing it again,” Jadwin said.

Heisner ended her presentation by stressing how much she loves and appreciates America for providing opportunities and education for her children and grandchildren that she never had herself.

The students in the audience were very touched by the presentation. After recently learning about the Holocaust and World War II in class, hearing the firsthand account of a Holocaust survivor was a very rewarding learning experience.

“I think it’s essential to keep telling these stories,” Jadwin said. “We need to keep their stories alive to make the world aware of what happened and to make it impossible for someone to believe it didn’t happen.”